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 Yellowstone National Park came into being on March 1, 1872 as the first national park in the world. More than half a million years ago the ground underneath Yellowstone exploded, leaving behind a crater of more than a thousand square miles. Photo: NPS. Geysers and hot springs still hint at the forces below, while majestic peaks and scenic rivers contribute to the staggering vistas. It also boasts an amazing array of large animals, including bison, wolves, elk, and grizzly bear. EVENTS 16-28 March 2010 Environmental Film Festival Washington, DC 20-21 March 2010 Go Green Expo New York City, NY NOTABLE Montana coal Court rulings let polluters off the hook Extension on deal to buy Everglades land NRDC on Atrazine in public water supplies Help me Get Rid of Stuff Do Something 100 Ways to Green Buildings QUOTE We march toward annihilation under the banner of Realism. ~Richard Barnet ~ 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...