I'm sure there's a mod for these, and I apologize if this has been suggested before (I'm new to the game) but I think it would be cool to expand a few things about the existing trees in the game. There are so many trees in this game that have had all kinds of uses through human history beyond just their wood. Being able to craft a simple metal tapper would allow us to collect pine or acacia resin more easily, but we could also tap maple and birch trees for their respective syrups. Having maple syrup in particular would give us access to sugar, which could be used not just for expanded meal recipes but also maybe for brewing, and it would likely be a bit easier to find and access than bees. The peak time of year for maple tapping is midwinter, so this could also provide a source of nutrition in the colder months.
Birch sap might be too much of an overlap, but birch bark could be used as an early alternative to parchment for crude notes that might degrade over time (to balance things). We have oak and walnut trees already; acorns could provide another emergency food source, while walnuts could be used in meals. Kapok could provide a crude, early-game fiber material before we have ready access to flax. I just think it would be cool to get a few more uses out of the tree we already have, so long as it didn't unbalance the game.