So … it’s been wet, right? And when we have those short-term episodes, it’s easy to forget that the more persistent condition here is one of drought.

That’s the finding University of Wyoming scientists made, with the help of scientists from the University of Hawaii and elsewhere, after reviewing four decades of satellite imagery. Hawaii is browner, and more prey to invasive species, than it used to be. Brush fires and water shortages align with these facts. Let’s care for native plants, while we can.