A report on scientific research being done by the Sala Lab at Arizona State University with support from the Drylands Institute. The Sala Lab is working to document environmental changes that are leading some scientists to conclude the decades long drought plaguing the Southwest is not temporary and that the region faces permanent aridification. An overview of research on Caledonian Crows and Jays and how they protect food sources and caches from conspecific competitors. Bird of the episode: Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Birding hotspot: P.A. Seitts Preserve at Go John Canyon in northern Maricopa County. Friend of wildlife: American Ornithological Society.