Last year at this time, the plants in our wild spaces looked a little different. Rather than lush and green, we were faced with dry, desiccated plants looking more like they were trying to survive a desert than a coastal island. Many deciduous trees were going dormant much earlier than usual, with leaves changing color and shedding off trees and shrubs. It looked more like late October than August on-island. In August of 2025 we were in a designated level 2 drought. Not only were there water restrictions, but the community as a whole was noticing the effects of drought on the open space around us. The crispy leaves and dry grasses were much more obvious that we were in a drought.