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10TuesdaySeptember172013EnvironmentWildlifeByMARIACHURCHTheBanffSpringssnaillessthanacentimetreinlengthmaynotcomewiththedramaofawhoopingcranebutendangeredmol-luscsspecialistDwayneLep-itzkiwasinNWTlastweektoexplainwhyitisjustasimportantandjustasat-risk.Lepitzkico-chairofthemolluscssubcommitteeoftheCommitteeontheStatusofEndangeredWildlifeinCanadawasinvitedtosharehisinsightsonmolluscslastweekastherstspeakerofanewNaturalHistorySpeak-ersNightseriesfromtheHayRiverbranchofEcol-ogyNorth.LepitzkihasbeenworkingwithmolluscsundercontractwithParksCanadaforthepast18years.HisworkoftenfocusesontherareBanffSpringssnailtherstmollusctobeputonCanadasendangeredspecieslist.ItsoneoftheseareasthatIkindoffoundanicheLep-itzkitoldTheJournal.MolluscsparticularlythefreshwatervarietyareEcologyNorthsrstspeakertalksat-riskmolluscsTeamidentiesnewalienspeciesofsnailfoundoutsideofHayRivertypicallyatriskbecauseofhumanactivityhesaid.Weliketousewaterasadumpinggroundsoalotofpollutantsgetintotheseareas.Someofthesemol-luscsespeciallytheclamsandthemusselstheylterwatersotheycanbetakinginnutrientsbuttheycanalsobetakinginpollutionLep-itzkisaid.Theymaybesmallbuttheirpresenceisanimpor-tantpartoftheecosystemhesaid.Molluscsactasnutri-entrecyclersbyconsumingdecayingmaterialsuchasfungusandthenbecomingafoodsourceformuskratsandwaterfowl.AlienslugspeciesfoundinNWTWhileintheNWTLep-itzkialongwithateamofCanadasforemostmolluscspecialiststookafielddaytosearchfornewspecies.JustoutsideofHayRivertheteamcameacrossagreyfieldslug.Theslughasneverbeforebeenidenti-fiedintheNWT.Wewerekindofex-pectingtofindthem-es-peciallythisslug.Typi-callyitsfoundeverywhereinNorthAmericawherepeoplearesoitwasjustamatteroftimebeforesome-bodyfoundthemhereLepitzkisaid.Theteamalsofoundwhattheybelievetobeanativespeciesofglasssnailandatleastonespeciesoffresh-waterlimpet.BothmolluscshaveyettobepositivelyidentifiedbutwillpotentiallybeanewadditiontothelistofmolluscsfoundinNWT.LepitzkiandhisteamwereabletobringthealienspecimenstheycollectedtothepresentationinHayRiver.KimRapatieventorga-nizerandEcologyNorthsHayRivercoordinatorsaidNeveridentiedbeforeintheNWTagreyeldslugisathomejustoutsideofHayRiver.PhotoRobertForsythByJACKDANYLCHUKKoKemeansfireasingatheraroundoneandtellstoriesDenezeNakehkoemceefortheopeningeventintheNorthernArtsandCulturalCentresNACC29thseasonex-plainedtoapackedhouselastFridayevening.AtouringfestivalofmusicandstorytellingKoKepro-videdavehiclethatcarriedNorthernwritersandper-formersfromYellowknifetoNormanWellsHayRiverInuvikandFortSimpsonaspartoftheNACCsef-forttotakeitsprogramstomorecommunitiesthisyear.ThisisanimportantnightformeMarieCoderrewhohasjustcompletedherrstyearasNACCexecutiveandartisticdirectortoldtheopen-ingnightaudience.ThisistheonlytheatreintheNorthwestTerritoriesandwehaveaneclecticpopulationherefromallacrossCanada.Itsabigchallengetopleaseeveryone.TherewasplentyofreinTanyaTagaqscollaborationwithpercussionistJeanMartinandviolinistJesseZubottocre-ateasoundtrackforNanookoftheNortha19thCenturydocu-mentarypreparedforRvillonFresaFrenchfurcompany.AdaptedfromaworkcommissionedbytheTo-rontoInternationalFilmFestivalandrstperformedlastyearthelivescoreofdrumsviolinandTagaqsthroatyroarsoaredandcrashedagainstaback-groundofalwayssmilingInuit.Much-malignedforthe19thCenturyattitudesdis-playedinthestorylineNa-nookisalsoawindowtoavanishedworld.ItshowsInuitlifeonthenortheastcoastofHudsonsBaywherethespectreofstarvationalwayslurkedinthebackground.ToTagaqthestarkblackandwhiteimagesofmenwrestlingatwo-tonnewal-rusfromthesurfspearingshandbuildinganigloopresentadistortedpictureofahappyEskimo.ButImakindofpissedoffEskimoTagaqsaidtoenthusiasticapplause.ImhonouredtobeplayingtoNorthernpeoplebecauseyouaregoingtogetit.Thescenewasmoresub-duedSaturdayafternoonwhenJimGreenlookedoutonasmallbutattentiveau-dienceandreprisedoneofhisfavouritestoriesaboutaYellowknifetowtruckdriverwhodoubledasthemorticianandjusticeofthepeace.AxtureinFortSmithforalmost40yearsGreencrackedajokeabouthisageandwhathappyhourhascometomeananapinsteadofadrinkineachhandandgettingluckyisrememberingwhereheparkedthetruck.Thingschangewhenyougetolderhesaid.YellowknifestorytellerScottMcQueenfollowedwithvignettesdrawnfromhislifeonthelandwithhisfatherDannyandmotherDorisonthesouthshoreofGreatSlaveLakeneartheRocherandTaltsonrivers.McQueenisoneofthelastofhisgenerationtohavelivedandlearnedfromatraditionalDenelifeandbelievesthathiscallingistokeepthosestoriesalive.ComedianRyanMcMa-honclosedoutKoKeinYellowknifeonSaturdaywitharoutinethatpushesagainsttheboundarywhereIndianCountrycollideswithmainstreamCanada.HeisscheduledtocloseoutKoKeatacommu-nityfeastinFortSimpsononSept.18withScottMc-QueenandSimpsonlocalJerryAntoine.BreathingreNorthernerstaketheirstoriesontheroadArtsCultureStorytellingTanyaTagaqandviolinistJesseZubotputamodernsoundtothestarkimagesofInuitlifedepictedinthe1922silentlmNanookoftheNorth.WilliamGreenlandanddrummerLawrenceNayallyentertaintheaudienceonopeningnightattheKoKestorytellingfestival.shewaspleasedwiththeeventsturnout.ItwasthersttimeIvedoneanaturalhistorynightinHayRiverandIwasto-tallyimpressedRapatitoldTheJournal.ItskindofastrangetopicsoIdidntthinkitwouldattractthatmanypeoplebutitwasreallyex-citing.Theroomwasfullshesaid.RapatisaidshehasyettodeterminewhothenextspeakerintheserieswillbebutsheshopingtohostlocalexpertssuchasGaryVizniowskionbirdsandBruceGreenonfossils.TherearesomereallyknowledgeablepeopleinthecommunitythathaveinterestingstufftoshareRapatisaid.ForupdatesonthenextNaturalHistorySpeak-ersNightcheckouttheorganizationswebsiteatecologynorth.ca.Updateswillbepostedasdatesaredetermined.FormoreinformationaboutspeciesatriskinCan-adavisitsararegistry.gc.ca.PhotoJackDanylchuk