Nature’ly Sweet is managing forests to support birds & sustainable maple production MERRILL, Wis. (May 4, 2026)  — As forest bird populations decline, one Wisconsin maple producer is showing how working forests can be part of the solution.  Nature’ly Sweet , operated by Christopher Petron in Merrill, is the first producer in the state to be recognized through the National Audubon Society’s Bird-Friendly Maple program. The recognition highlights the operation’s commitment to managing its sugarbush—a forest of maple trees used for syrup production—in ways that support birds, biodiversity, and long-term forest health.  In the Bird-Friendly Maple program, Audubon partners with maple syrup producers to improve forest and habitat conditions critical for forest bird species, many of which are in decline across North America.…