Drastic New England Drought

 By Selby Vaughn

“That [person] is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”  Henry David Thoreau in his Journal.

New England has had a remarkably hot and dry summer, which is evident in much of the plant life throughout the Boston area. 

Coast pepperbush leaves droop as their wetland habitat dries out.

Due to the drought, many plant leaves are drooping and drying out, causing an early-onset senescence of plants which would normally take place in the autumn. 

A patch of dry, yellow, and wilting ferns. 

These drought conditions also affect fruit development, causing fruits like blueberries to shrivel up like raisins. This could lead to starvation among animals like squirrels and chipmunks that rely on these plants. 

Huckleberry plant with shrivelled fruit and dry leaves. 

The extreme high temperatures and drought we have seen within the past month may persist as climate change continues to affect our environment. While some plants may be able to withstand the drought, others may die from these extreme conditions.