Michael first learned about the wonders of maple syrup during a college field trip while obtaining his masters degree in forestry from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, N.Y. He then started tapping trees on his childhood property and soon after went on to serve for 13 years as the Director of Cornell University’s Uihlein Forest, a maple syrup research and extension field station in Lake Placid, N.Y. Michael focused his efforts on the sustainable development of the maple syrup industry, assisted thousands of sugarmakers with their own operations, and conducted a great deal of research and education on the potential for tapping other species beyond maple.