Spongy moths were active across the region in late June, their adults emerging…

June 26, 2026Green Mountain Foothills

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were active across the region in late June, their adults emerging as sugar maples reached full canopy — seven sightings from lower elevations near the bay up into the higher valleys. The timing is ominous: these trees are now entering a critical window of vulnerability.

Streamflow dropped sharply during the same period, falling from 858 cubic feet per second to 467 in just two weeks. The combination of fresh defoliation and acute water stress is what transforms a single outbreak year from a cosmetic injury into ecological debt. A healthy maple can usually absorb one year of heavy caterpillar feeding, but weakened trees — starved of water, their reserve carbohydrates already mobilized for leaf replacement — lose that resilience.

This is how cumulative stress builds. Each stressor alone might be survivable; together, they erode the margin between endurance and decline. These maples will likely persist through this season, but the next drought, or the next outbreak, may tip the balance.

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