Dear Chelsea,

Thank you for reaching out to the UVM Extension Master Gardener program with your question. It is heart breaking to see such a beautiful old tree damaged by the storm. I can understand that you want to keep part of it alive. The fruit (samaras) of the Sugar Maple will turn from green to yellow to brown and fall from the tree when mature. Mature Sugar Maple seeds require a period of moisture and cold to break their internal dormancy and germinate. You do not need to remove the seed from the fruit. You can sow the seed in the fall as our cold weather over the winter will break the internal dormancy of the seed. Plant mature seed ¼ to 1 inch deep. If you choose to start the Sugar Maple seeds indoors you will need to cold stratify the seed by placing them at a temperature 33 – 40 degrees Fahrenheit (such as a refrigerator) for 3 months before planting them. Seedlings should be protected until they can be planted outdoors in the early spring. Sugar Maple seedlings can often be found in the landscape near an established tree. You may scout the area for young seedlings that are already established.

See the resources below:

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/askextension/thisQuestion.cfm?ThreadID=8480&catID=199&AskSiteID=87

https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/growing-tree-seedlings-seed