LOUISVILLE, Ky. — DENIOS, an industry leader in safety and material handling products, recently donated an IBC Funnel to the Symonds Elementary School in Keene, New Hampshire, for their maple sugaring project. The 5th grade class learned all aspects of the project, including how to tap maple trees, collect the sap, carry the 5-gallon buckets across the property, and pour them into the IBC, where the sap was stored until it was time to boil it down for syrup.
In previous seasons, lifting a 5-gallon bucket of sap (roughly 40 pounds) and pouring it into a 6-inch hole that’s 2 feet away at shoulder height proved a challenge. Spillage was common, and since about 40 gallons of maple sap boils down to 1 gallon of maple syrup, every drop counts. The DENIOS funnel simplified matters, reduced spillage, increased student confidence, and increased yield.
Teacher JJ Prior said, “The DENIOS IBC funnel allowed our students to more effectively and confidently pour in the sap that they had carried from the trees, without spilling. We also looked at the structure of the funnel and identified how specific features of its design supported its purpose, such as the feet that fit on the cage of the tank, and the channels that direct liquids to the drain in the center while minimizing splashes. It was a good learning opportunity all around.”
The fifth graders enjoyed the process and the hands-on learning that it provided. They enjoyed the fruits of their labor on the last day of school with a pancake breakfast complete with their homemade maple syrup.
