ABOUT ECO-USA Eco-USA.net launched with the new millennium in January 2000. However, its origins as the local website EcoIndiana date back to May 1996. It began as a repository for information about Indiana's superfund sites and the contaminants found within them. In EcoIndiana's earliest days, most of that information was not yet available elsewhere on the web. Since then, the site gradually expanded to cover neighboring states, environmental organizations, and images of various plants and animals. I don't know what the future holds for this site, but I aim to have fun with it, and hope that you enjoy your visit. Regards, Mike Habeck ALMANAC Here in central Indiana we still have snow on the ground, but that doesn't stop my thoughts from turning to spring and the imminent arrival of this year's crop of wildflowers. Along the midwestern portions of the fortieth parallel, Skunk Cabbage is usually first up, making its annual appearance around Valentine's Day. Sometimes they emerge undaunted through a layer of snow. Look for them in seeps and other wet areas. By summer these inconspicuous flowers will give way to comparatively enormous plants two to three feet across. EVENTS 25-26 February 2010 MiaGreen 2010 Miami, FL 20-21 March 2010 Go Green Expo New York City, NY NOTABLE What happens when a land trust dissolves? New data on California groundwater depletion Compromise on Oregon forests Some disturbing news about legal tapwater that may make people sick. The 2009 Edition of Freeing the Grid is out; download the document (2.1 MB pdf) here to learn about net metering and your state's current status. Brief review of Less is More QUOTE We are living in a science-fiction nightmare where children are gasping for breath on bad-air days because someone gave money to a politician. ~Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ~ MYSTERY PIC Can you help me identify this wildflower? (Click to Enlarge Image) UPDATE: Holly of the Cool Creek Nature Center wrote in on 1/20 to identify this flower. It's Flower-of-an-hour, Hibiscus trionum, an introduced species from Europe. Then on 2/7 Philip wrote in and also identified the flower as Hibiscus trionum; he reports seeing it in Hungary. Many thanks to both Holly and Philip! I will try to post a new "mystery" flower soon...