Mammals of Nova Scotia with Mr Long Voelkner

Seals, sand and sunshine: A perfect ending

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:38:00 +0000

What a fantastic way to end a wonderful experience! We learned, and practiced, various mammal surveying techniques such as direct observation, field sign and trapping. We collected data on the trapped animals and learned how to safely handle small mammals. We leaned how to mathematically calculate and estimate animal densities using the data we collected. We listened to lectures about climate changeability, Nova Scotia geology and Nova Scotia mammals. We had the opportunity to learn from other teachers from across the United States and hear about their teaching techniques, working conditions and their students. We had a awesome insight into what the life of a field research scientist is like. And, we were able to communicate with our students and our communities back home, enabling them to share our experiences.

I'd like to thank Earthwatch for providing the opportunities for ordinary people to voluntarily make a difference on our planet. Thank you Wells Fargo for providing the funding which allows expeditions like this to occur; the Earth is a better place because you care. And a big thanks to the principal investigators, Drs. Chris Newman and Christina Buesching. Your hospitality was unbelievable, your knowledge was invaluable and your commitment to scientific research and the welfare of our planet and its inhabitants was evident from the start. And, finally, thank you to team 1. What a wonderful group of people. All of you make me proud to be a teacher and I'd feel priviledged to have my children in any of your classes.

We spent most of the time in Kejimkujik National Park seashore adjunct. This is definitely a place I would visit again!! Lots of rocks, sandy beaches and, seals. It was really fun to watch the seals sitting on the rocks and swimming in the water. The local fishermen blame the seals for declining fisheries and wrecking lobster traps and will shoot any seal they see. This is a perfect example of balancing the use of resources (fisheries) with the conservation of animal species. We also talked about survival situations and learned how to set a trap to catch food in a survival situation. After dinner, we shared some educational lessons and exchanged gifts representing our region.

Nova Scotia fact of the day: this is a great place to visit. Think of it as Minnesota with an ocean! I'd love to return here sometime and share my experience with my family.

Mr. Techno strikes again!

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Below is a video from this afternoon. There were 30-40 mph winds and the waves were awesome, with swells of over 6' high!! We saw a lot of sea urchin shells and even part of a lobster shell. The sun came back today around noon. This morning we checked our traps and brought them all in from the field. We had caught 5 more voles, 3 of which were recaptures. Tonight, we went over the data and found out that there were 6.7 voles per hectare (about 2.5 acres) at Cook's Lake compared with 5 per hectare at the Eastport site. We estimated .03 deer per hectare at Cook's Lake compared to
.0125 deer per hectare at Eastport. The snowshoe hare population appeared to be much higher in Eastport than Cook's Lake, judging by pellet counts. Tomorrow, we'll be visiting the part of Kejimkujik National Park that is by the seashore. There is a chance that we'll be able to see some seals, so I have my fingers crossed. It's hard to believe that our time here is almost gone. This has been an awesome experience and I've learned many new and exciting things. I'm looking forward to sharing these with my classes.

Nova Scotia fact of the day: famous Nova Scotians include Hank Snow, Anne Murray and pro hockey player Al McInnis. Alexander Graham Bell moved here in 1885 and is buried in Nova Scotia.

1.) Did you bring a razor with to shave? In an effort to save weight and room in my backpack, I left my razor behind. I'll let you have a good look on Monday, before I shave again.
2.) How did you celebrate Earth Day? We sang Happy Birthday to the Earth and had some great birthday cake!
3.) Have you played any hockey? No, but we've been playing some of the same games you play in Mr. Waller's class.
4.) What kind of sharks are off the coast? I'd imagine that there are many species, similar to the rest of the Atlantic. Maybe a swimming with the sharks expedition is in the future?
5.) If given the chance would to take the trip again? Definitely. This has been a great opportunity to see someplace new, share ideas with fellow teachers, learn about the environment and collect data that can be used to make informed decisions concerning our planet.
6.) Who do you think killed the electric car? I think there was a combination of factors, but I'd put a lot of blame on big oil and the auto industry.

Happy Earth Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:57:00 +0000

Happy Earth Day!!

The first Earth Day was held in 1970, the brainchild of former US senator Gaylord Nelson and Dennis Hayes. It was originally organized to thrust the environment into the political mainstream.

"The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard."
— Gaylord Nelson
former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day

We, as individuals, can make changes that will drastically affect the world that we live in. If each individual does something small, recycle, conserve electricity, take shorter showers, etc.., and there are over 6.5 billion individuals on our planet, those small things become big things.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
— Mahatma Gandhi

We need to stop thinking only about the now, the today, but also think about the tomorrow. Our choices have a lasting impact. Let’s make informed decisions. Let’s make the right decisions.

"What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all of our tomorrows."
— Alexandra Stoddard, author, interior designer and philosopher of contemporary living

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. "
— Chief Seattle

How will you celebrate Earth Day? What can you do to lessen your impact on our environment? What kind of planet do you want to leave your descendants?

I hope you think of these and other questions and in your thoughts and actions make every day Earth Day.

"Now I truly believe that we in this generation must come to terms with nature, and I think we're challenged, as mankind has never been challenged before, to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature but of ourselves."
— Rachel Carson, author, Silent Spring

Questions and some guesses to how the porcupine died.

1.) Fisher, Fox, Mink, Pine Marten, Badger, Mt. Lion, Wild Dog, Owl and old age. Great guesses. After today's weather, I think it drowned! Actually, since it was found on its back, it was probably dinner for a Fisher. Fishers are able to tip porcupines over onto their back making them defenseless, as their underside does not have any quills.
2.) Are there any lynx in Nova Scotia? Yes, but our chances of seeing one are very slim. There are Lynx, Bobcat and Cougars in Nova Scotia.
3.) Kaila wants to know why you haven't went swimming yet? There have been sharks sighted off the coat and the sight of blood makes me ill. Especially my own!!
4.) Did you take any of the quills? We brought back a lot of the skeleton including most of the skull. The quills were very soft and starting to decompose.

The word for today was RAIN!!! We had a red backed vole in one of our traps this morning that was a recapture, but nothing this afternoon. We did some transects to assess mammal sign and then worked on a trail to Cook's Lake. We were able to stop in Bridgewater today and I boght a new hat. What do you think? Still waiting to solve the porcupine video upload. Keep checking in!

Nova Scotia fact of the day: Nova Scotian's are proudly called "Bluenoses" or "Bluenosers" since the 1700's. Reason: Planting and exporting of Irish Bluenose Potatoes, blue marks on the noses of fishermen left by blue mitts, and the nickname given to the Nova Scotia British troops which occupied New York City and Boston during the American Revolution.

Rain, rain go away

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:55:00 +0000

1.) Have you tasted the ocean water? Not on this trip, but I've tasted the Atlantic before. Tastes like chicken!!
2.) Has it rained much while you have been there? Today it started raining around 10:00am and rained all day. Everyone was wet by the time we got back home.
3.) What is your favorite mammal so far? Out of the mammals we've seen, I'd have to say the beaver. It's amazing to see how they can change their habitat to make it suitable for their survival.
4.) What is a vole, and do you have a picture of one? It's a cross between a mole and a violin. Just kidding: a vole is a small mammal about the size of a mouse. It differs from a mouse in that it has a shorter tail, smaller ears and eyes and it isn't as fast, so it depends on hiding instead of running away to survive. Check out the middle school website to see a picture of one of the vole's we've trapped.
5.) Has anyone been bit by a mammal? So far, no blood has been shed. The mice and voles will only bite if cornered, but the chipmunks and flying squirrels will try to bite if given a chance.

Great questions!! Today we checked our traps at Cook's Lake. This morning we had one vole and this afternoon another vole. It was pretty wet and cold and many of the team members were soaked by the time we headed in from the field. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow, too, with winds up to 70KMPH We also did 20 quadrants looking for deer droppings. So far it looks like there is a higher deer density at Cook's Lake than at our first site. We found the remains of a porcupine today. It died on it's back, which is a big clue as to what killed it. Any guesses? We also helped clear a trail around part of the property using hand tools. I sure could have used my chainsaw today, but, because of Earthwatch's safety policies, we used bow saws and clippers. We found a bunch of owl pellets under a large pine tree. Owls that eat small mammals spit up a fairly dry ball of bones and fur. The pellets can be picked apart, the mammals identified and the information can be used to validate animal population densities from the trappings.

Keep checking back as we're trying to add a video of the porcupine's mating habits. Very interesting!!

Cooks Lake Site

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:14:00 +0000

The ticks are out!! That was the sound heard today as we set up traps. We moved to a new site called Cooks Lake. This area has belonged to Dr. Buesching's family for approximately 23 years. It has a 40 acre field and the surrounding woods have been cut over numerous times; a mixture of balsam fir, spruce , white pine and various hardwoods. We set 50 traps in the forest and another 50 in the field. The temperature today was close to 60 degrees at Cooks Lake, which is inland, and about 45 degrees back at the cottages near the coast. We left the doors closed on the field traps because there are a lot of voles and they loose heat so fast that they could die overnight. We'll probably just set those traps during the day and check them in the afternoon. We're supposed to get rain on Wednesday and winds up to 30 mph, so it will be fun to see what the ocean looks like then.

Nova Scotia fact of the day: more Gaelic is spoken in Nova Scotia than in Scotland; North America's only Gaelic College is at St. Ann's, Nova Scotia; The Antigonish Highland Games are the oldest in North America.

1.) What is the average temp. during this time of the year?
The average temperature is in between 45-55 degrees.

2.) What kind of seafood did you eat on Saturday? Mr. Sattler really would have liked to be there for that. I had a seafood platter for lunch which included fried haddock, scallops and crab cakes. For supper I had lobster and corn chowder. Very tasty!

1.) Did you have a chance to ride of the tugboat? No, but I think Kaila would like to.

2.) Have you had the chance to see any big animals like a moose? Not yet, but we all have our fingers crossed. The moose population is not that large here.

3.) Have you had a chance to go to any of the other provinces? Not on this trip. I'd love to come back and do a lot of exploring Nova Scotia and other provinces.

4.) Are you going to bring back that yellow hat? Of course, along with my beard.

Halifax and Kejimkujik

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:39:00 +0000

Saturday found us heading to Halifax, the largest city in Nova Scotia. Halifax is a mixture of old architecture and new, modern buildings. The Citadel, a fort built into the ground, was constructed to defend the city against invading forces. We were able to do a little souvenir shopping and sample some tasty seafood.

Today, we visited Kejimkujik National Park in the interior of Nova Scotia. It is a very beautiful area with a lot of hiking trails and lakes for canoeing. There are a lot of old growth eastern hemlock trees that we do not see much in Minnesota. We also did some deer dropping surveys to compare deer densities with our earlier site. Tomorrow we'll go to another research site and begin trapping and surveying mammals there. One of the most interesting things is that the capture/mark/release method that we are using to calculate small mammal densities is the same method that we've been modeling in class during our population unit.

Nova Scotia fact of the day: there are 938,310 people living in Nova Scotia (2008) and over a third of them live in Halifax.

Results from the first week

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:19:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that we're almost to the end of the first week! Before I go over our results, I'll answer some questions from my classes.
.) How big was the snake that was found?
The snake was about three feet long. We are still waiting for a positive identification, but one source thinks it is a garter snake.

2.) Are you having a good time?
I'm having a great time! The research is very interesting, the team is a lot of fun and it's pretty neat to see a different part of the country.

3.) Is there something you have found or can find in Nova Scotia that you can't find in Minnesota?
I think the biggest difference is that we are by the ocean. So there are a lot of big boats in the bays and, of course, fresh seafood. I think there are a lot more similarities than differences. We have the same animals, tree species, terrain etc...

4.) What all do you see while you are by the ocean?
Lots of seaweed! Also broken lobster traps, some seashells and ropes and other garbage washed up on shore. I saw a loon the other day and the seagulls look a little bigger than in Bemidji.

1.) What kind of food have you been eating? Anything different?
The food is cooked by our two researchers. For breakfast, I usually have eggs and bacon. Lunch is sandwiches and fruit. For supper, we have had pasta with spaghetti sauce, stir fried rice, fish and chips (french fries), pizza and, tonight, bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes).

1.) Have have your like and dislikes been from the trip?
I like working with the other teachers from across the United States. I also really enjoy participating in real research and learning from real scientists. I'm looking forward to Halifax tomorrow and eating some seafood. I don't have any dislikes so far.

2.) Do you hope to see any bears while you are there?
I think it would be great to see some bears, but we'll probably see bear sign (tracks, scat, etc..). The bears here tend to shy away from humans, just like the ones in Minnesota.

3.) Has there been any accidents with the studies?
No, although there was a close call with a logging truck (an articulated lorry in UK language) who was partly in our lane. The rocky terrain is a little tricky to walk through.

2.) Are you going to be able to bring anything back for Zeta Pod?
If I see something interesting that isn't too big or heavy, I'll get it back home.

3.) Does Nova Scotia have a favorite sport, if so what is it? Do they play any different sports than in MN?
Nova Scotians enjoy hockey, like most of Canada. As far as know, there are no unique games here.

Today we checked our small mammal traps and brought them all in. We are finished with this site and will move to a different site on Monday. We did four more transects looking for white tailed deer droppings and returned to Cherry Hill for lunch and to run our calculations. We calculated that there are 10.5 small mammals (mice and voles) per hectacre (2.5 acres). That is a slight increase from last year's results. We also counted the hare pellets that we've collected over the last few days. We calculated an average of around 1600 pellets per hectacre which is an increase from last year.

Tonight we went to the town of Liverpool to do laundry and visited a local pub. It was trivia night and the Earthwatch team ended up in third place out of six teams. Not too bad considering a lot of the questions were about Canada and Nova Scotia. We're having a few problems uploading pictures and videos, but keep checking back for some funny videos.

A Great Day for Mammals!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Another great day, today. We trapped some red backed voles, surveyed for hare and deer (more poop counts), and observed beaver and muskrat in a pond. During the hare pellet collecting, the other teacher from Bemidji, Kris VanWilgen-Hammitt, removed leaves from what she thought was a tree root. She sure was surprised to find out that the tree root was actually a very large, lethargic snake! We think it is a rat snake, which are very rare here in Nova Scotia. At the beaver pond we saw beaver, a muskrat and some mergansers. On the way back, we saw a porcupine and some white tailed deer. Nothing really new for Minnesotans, but it is very interesting to see the reactions of people who haven't seen them before. One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was the strange bird we saw. As we were leaving the trapping site, we saw a pheasant walking through the woods, right toward our researchers' tethered dog. Once the dog lunged, the pheasant flew up into a white pine. We think it probably escaped from some private individual as they are not found in the wild.

It was great skyping with some of my students today. I miss being in the classroom, but I'm enjoying this opportunity. Here are some answers to student questions:
1.) How much free time have you got while you have been there and what all of you done with it? Not much free time at all. We usually leave by 8:30 and are back around 6:00 (8:30 tonight). We will have some free time in Halifax on Saturday and will have a chance to do laundry in town tomorrow night.

2.) have you adjusted to the time change? I think so. I've been getting to bed by 12:00 and am up by 7:00 or earlier. Some days I take a quick walk down to the ocean.

3.) What is your biggest goal for the trip? My biggest goals are to assist in gathering data, learning new things that I can bring back to my students and meeting new people that help me get better ideas for teaching.

4.) Will you come to school for one day with your beard? Stay tuned!

Nova Scotia fact of the day: the provincial flower is the Mayflower, the tree is the red spruce and the bird is the osprey.

Trapping Success and Counting Poop

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:01:00 +0000

Today was an awesome day in Nova Scotia! I started out the morning by walking down near the ocean and watched a fishing boat leave the wharf. The fisherman said they were going to be trying to catch "large" which we think meant the large, king crabs. Hopefully, I'll be able to find some of them to eat in Halifax on Saturday. It was a beautiful day today; blue sky and a temperature of around 55 degrees. We checked the traps today and caught some red-backed voles, common deer mice and a chipmunk (I think it was Alvin). We record data including: mass, sex, adult or juvenile, species, time, trap identification and sexual maturity. After having the animal run a maze, they are released in the same area that they were caught in. Today we also picked up snowshoe hare pellets. Imagine crawling around on your hands and knees looking for, and picking up, hare poop. Not my most favorite thing to do, but it's data that is needed to estimate the population of that type of animal.

More good questions from my classes today.
We travel to the research sites in a 15 passenger van.
We walked about 3-4 miles today and didn't see any
large mammals yet. We'll be doing some GPS work next
week.

Nova Scotia fact of the day: the first people here were Micmac Indians.

It's Trapping Time!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:55:00 +0000

Today we set out traps for small rodents, voles, mice and possibly chipmunks. They are called Longfellow traps and have straw in them to help maintain the animal's body temperature and seeds to attract them. Trapped animals will be weighed, sexed and put through a timidity tray (mouse maze) that we constructed today. We set out 100 traps that will be checked twice daily. The sun made a nice appearance this afternoon and it was a great day to be outdoors. Other than being close to the ocean, this is a lot like Northern Minnesota. Similar tree species, wildlife, terrain and, so far, weather. Nova Scotia fact of the day: Nova Scotia is Canada's second smallest province, has about 7500 km of oceanshore and 3000 lakes.

No whales, yet, but I'll keep looking. There are no wolves in Nova Scotia, but a good sized coyote population. The cottage I'm staying in is just a couple blocks from the ocean, is uninsulated and pretty cold (there are heaters in the bedrooms). We smell the scat to identify the animal as some scat looks the same. For example, river otter scat smells sweet, while mink scat, which looks similar, has a strong, musky smell. The scat smells the way it does from the food the animal eats as well as the location of scent glands in some species that use scat for marking their territory. We haven't had an opportunity to talk to any Canadians yet, but hopefully will this Saturday in Halifax.

Mammal droppings and a coastal hike

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:38:00 +0000

This morning I went for a walk along the ocean before breakfast. The shore here is very rocky with short stretches of sand. There are lots of different seaweed and it was interesting to see how they are attached to the rocks, allowing them to survive the pounding from the ocean waves. Not only do they have to survive being exposed to dryer conditions during low tide, some of them are exposed to both saltwater and freshwater coming from the land. The morning was spent discussing the research that we will be doing and talking about the various animals that we will be, hopefully, seeing. After lunch, we did a 5 mile hike along the coast looking for animal signs. We saw whitetail deer tracks, and many different kinds of scat (poop), including, deer, porcupine, river otter and coyote. Did you know that river otter poop smells sweet and that deer poop smells like red wine? Neither did I until today. The weather kept changing all day long; short sunny periods and also periods of snow. I almost felt like I was back home. Nova Scotia fact of the day: Petite Riviere, a very small coastal community, was once the capital of Canada.

You had some great questions today! The plane ride time was only about 5 hours, but because of delays which resulted in a missed flight, I didn't get here until 10:30am on Sunday, 13 hours after the original plan. No ice on the lakes and the only snow I saw was in the air. Probably no chance to swim or fish, but I hope to be eating some seafood sometime. We'll be looking for any land mammals including: deer, moose, fox, coyote, mink, skunk, bear, pine marten, fisher, squirrels, mice, voles and moles. I hope you all do a great job on the tests!

And The Adventure Begins!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:50:00 +0000

We made it! Not without some adventures though. Our flight from Minneapolis to Newark, NJ was delayed 3 hours so we missed our connecting flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Had to spend the night in the Newark airport. The benches are definitely not made for sleeping! Anyhow, we are all here and excited to start working with the mammals. Tomorrow we will start looking at mammals along the coast. Our cottage is very close to the ocean and I plan on looking for some animals tomorrow morning. Nova Scotia is two hours ahead of Bemidji time, so 6:00am here is 4:00am back home. I'll be sending some pictures tomorrow. For my students: treat Mr. Sattler nice and get lots of sleep so you're ready for the MCAs. Nova Scotia fact of the day: claimed By John Cabot in 1497, this is the only province named in Latin (New Scotland).

Time for some Thank Yous

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Wow, we're getting really close to leaving now! Still a lot to do: substitute plans, pack, fix the brakes on the van, buy tires for my daughter's car, interview with the local paper and public television station... In tonight's blog, I'd like to thank the many groups and people that make an opportunity like this possible. To Earthwatch, an organization dedicated to helping us all understand and wisely live on this place we call home, thank you. To Wells Fargo, whose funding makes this adventure possible, stepping up to show us all, the great things that can be done when business collaborates with organizations, school districts and communities, thank you. To the Superintendent of the Bemidji School District, Dr. James Hess, for his encouragement and support of all good things for our students, thank you. To my immediate supervisor, Principal Jim Wheeler, for his dedication to education and my, sometimes strange, ideas, thank you. A big thank you to the staff and students of Bemidji Middle School. Your enthusiasm and kind words keep education the wondrous profession that it is. To the fantastic people at The Pioneer and Lakeland Public Television. The support you demonstrate for our students and our community is evidenced daily, thank you. To my Dad, Rudolph Voelkner, for instilling in me, at an early age, a sense of adventure and a love for the great outdoors. You are still my hero, thank you. And finally to my wife, Ann, and my children, Megann, Travis, Andrea and Kaila for standing by me and supporting my adventures and trips. If I had my way, you'd be with me on every single one. I love you all, thank you. As we all can see, there are a lot of people that share in this expedition and I'll do my best to represent each and every one of you.

Let it snow, Let it Snow...

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Maggie says "Hi" and "Will someone throw the tennis ball for me?"
Question: What does a Minnesota winter and the energizer bunny have in common? You guessed that right!! It sure was bright out when I left school today. Our students were sent home at 1:20 which gave me some time to meet with our computer specialist extraordinaire and get set up for Skype. Thanks, Elsa! It's quite an amazing program. I'm looking forward to using it to involve my students in this adventure. We just finished learning about tides, so I hope there is a chance to see the Bay of Fundy which has some of the largest tidal changes in the world.

Hockey and rubber boots

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:52:00 +0000

GO BEAVERS!! Sorry, but I just had to get that in there. It's a great thing for college hockey and our community, when our 16th seeded Beavers (Bemidji State University) made it to the final (frozen) four. I went out to the hunting cabin yesterday to get my rubber boots. Still about 18" of ice on the lakes and 5-12" of new snow predicted for the next 24-36 hours. I haven't "summerized" my snow shovel yet. On Saturday, I watched two bald eagles fly down to the ice to munch on some frozen sunfish. Awesome birds!! I wonder what kinds of birds we'll be seeing in Nova Scotia? Still a lot of things to do to get ready. Only 12 more days!

Counting down the days!

noreply@blogger.com (Kurt Long Voelkner) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:43:00 +0000

Only 17 more days and I'll be boarding the plane on the first step towards Nova Scotia! I 'm really looking forward to interacting with the other team members who come from all over the United States. I'm also excited about learning more about Nova Scotia and meeting some of the people who live there. What a wonderful opportunity to be able to share this adventure with my students at Bemidji Middle School.

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noreply@blogger.com (Earthwatch Institute: Live from the Field) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:03:00 +0000

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