Steven Tannas; PhD., P.Ag.

President; Senior Restoration and Vegetation Ecologist

Dr. Steven Tannas is a Senior Vegetation Ecologist, Reclamation Specialist, wetland scientist, and dual-registered Professional Agrologist in Alberta and B.C. Steven specializes in vegetation ecology with work spanning many practice areas. Steven is an experienced plant taxonomist able to spot ID over 1000 species of plants. Other areas of practice and technical knowledge include restoration ecology, agrology, bioengineering, wetlands, and native plant propagation.

Steven’s primary focus areas span the Western Canadian ecosystems, including Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territory. Steven has extensive experience working with various energy sectors, including oil and gas, electrical grids, and mining, as well as work spanning the renewable and agricultural sectors. Steven is experienced in working with Federal, Provincial and Municipal levels of government in varying capacities. 

Steven is on the AIA Registration Committee, and the Old’s College Industrial Advisory Committee and has acted as a supervisor for graduate-level students. In his spare time, Steven enjoys wood carving, building and playing string instruments, timber framing, reading, and being outdoors.

Eileen Tannas; BSc.

Vice President: Senior Plant Propagation Specialist

Eileen is a plant propagation specialist, taxonomist, and environmental professional with extensive greenhouse experience having worked with Eastern Slopes Rangeland Seeds Ltd. over the past decade. Eileen's expertise has focused on plant identification, including weeds, rare species, and common native species across Alberta. Eileen has conducted rare species and vegetation surveys within the following boreal, upper foothills, lower foothills, montane, subalpine, foothills fescue, northern fescue, aspen parkland, and dry mixedgrass natural subregions. Eileen's experience in boreal ecosystems is extensive.

Eileen is highly skilled in business management and has a degree in math and finance, leading the finance and administration team. Eileen is the Health and Safety Manager and ensures that our team upholds the highest standards possible. Eileen brings strong administration and project management skills to every project we do.

Daina Anderson; MSc., P.Biol. 

Senior Wetland Specialist, Biophysical Team Lead

Daina Anderson is a senior regulatory specialist and wetland scientist based out of Calgary with over 9 years of experience working in the private and public sectors in Western and Eastern Canada. Daina has prepared numerous key technical reports to high technical standards, including biophysical impact assessments/environmental impact studies [BIA/EIS/PSNA], wetland impact assessment reports [WAIR], environmental assessments [EA], constraints and opportunities assessments, and significant wildlife habitat evaluations. Daina’s attention to detail, practical field skills, and technical expertise gained through diverse projects allow her to execute projects through all stages, from study design, data collection, data analysis, synthesis of results, and reporting while communicating effectively with the project team and clients. 

Daina enjoys outdoor activities in all seasons, including gardening, hiking, cycling, and xc skiing.

Hilary Baker; BSc., P.Ag.

Senior Vegetation & Rangeland Specialist; Rangeland Team Lead

Hilary is a senior vegetation ecologist and rangeland practitioner based in Cranbrook, B.C. Hilary is a dual-registered Professional Agrologist in Alberta and B.C. Her expertise lies in multidisciplinary practices based on ecological, environmental, rangeland, agronomic, and socio-economic principles. Hilary has contributed to and led teams on a variety of projects from small to large-scale environmental assessments, working with a diverse clientele in both the public and private sectors, including industry, oil and gas, mining, agriculture, the not-for-profit, emergency management, and with growers/producers/ranchers. Hilary's background and passions are firmly rooted in ecology, and she excels as a big systems thinker, using science as a basis for making land management decisions. Hilary has extensive experience in rangeland management, having previously worked as a Rangeland Specialist with the Government of Alberta. Hilary is well-versed in plant taxonomy, ecological classification, terrestrial ecosystem mapping, post-fire monitoring, ecosystem monitoring, gap analysis, forage and browse sampling, long-term monitoring, program design, program management, technical reporting, and technical publications. Hilary is a Director with the BC Chapter of the Pacific Northwest Section of the Society for Range Management.

Hilary splits her spare time between team roping, fly fishing, backcountry skiing, and scouring the Kootenay's for wildflowers.

Darin Sherritt; MSc., P.Ag.

Senior Environmental Scientist (Reclamation)

Darin is a Professional Agrologist based in the Edmonton/Wainwright area and specializes in vegetation, reclamation, and revegetation. Darin has been working in the reclamation industry since 2012 and is experienced in site reclamation, revegetation, ecosite and wetland classification, and various aspects of range management. Darin's technical skills include vegetation inventories, assessment, and classification. Darin is highly skilled in plant identification of weeds, introduced, and native plant species in both spot and keying methods. A U of A Range Team Alumni, Darin is our resident grass specialist. Darin instructs various audiences at the annual plant ID course and teaches seed mix design. Darin's work experience has predominantly focused within natural areas, oil and gas (upstream and midstream), and mining sectors throughout Alberta.

Darin enjoys dabbling in collecting various antiques, building his International Harveseor collection, billiards, and hunting.

Brittny Beamish; RT.Ag., R.T.Biol.

Senior Environmental Scientist (Reclamation)

Brittny is an environmental scientist based in the Edmonton/Fort St. John area and has worked as a reclamation specialist and vegetation ecologist. Brittny is a member in good standing with the Alberta Institute of Agrologists [RT.Ag.] and Alberta Society of Professional Biologists [R.T.Biol.]. Her primary areas of focus have been reclamation of both upland forest and peatland sites in northern Alberta within the Chinchaga Caribou Range and completing vegetation assessments within the boreal, lower foothills, upper foothills, and montane natural subregions of Alberta. She has completed over 300 detailed site assessments [DSAs] under the cultivated [including tame pasture], forested and peatland criteria and submitted the associated reclamation certificate applications [RCA]. Additionally, she has managed and executed various conventional oil and gas reclamation portfolios for multiple clients concurrently. She has strong plant identification skills including the identification of bryophytes. She is both familiar and comfortable with the challenges of working in remote locations.

Brittny can be found hiking, chasing waterfalls, or tending her my excessive amount of house plants. 

Michael Shorter; BSc, P.Biol.

Intermediate Ecologist & Environmental Planner (Biophysical)

Michael is an experienced environmental professional based in the Calgary area and is a dual-registered Professional Biologist in Alberta and B.C. Michael has worked for a diverse clientele in the energy, transportation, power, and land development sectors in western Canada. Michael is well versed in regulatory consultation, permitting, and stakeholder engagement overseeing multi-disciplinary involvement for a myriad of developments with technical expertise as a field biologist in wetland, vegetation, and wildlife resources. Michael is experienced in aquatic monitoring, plant identification, wildlife identification [insect, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian], fish habitat assessments, and wetland delineation. Michael has contributed to numerous reports, including biophysical impact assessments/environmental impact studies [BIA/EIS/PSNA], wetland impact assessment reports [WAIR], environmental assessments [EA], and AUC Applications under rule 007.

Michael spends his spare time camping, mountain biking, skiing, coaching tennis, playing guitar and pursuing other arts.

Cassandra Schroeder; BSc, P.Ag.

Intermediate Environmental Scientist (Biophysical & Rangeland)

Cassandra is an environmental scientist based in the Calgary area, and a registered Professional Agrologist experienced in range management, land administration and agricultural production. Cassandra has extensive experience in the public sector as Range Management Extension Specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. Cassandra was responsible for monitoring in community pastures and providing technical support to producers. Cassandra is experienced in writing weed management plans for crown land and advising on invasive weed management. Cassandra's expertise lies in integrated resource management and is founded on a wholesome understanding of the agriculture industry and ecological principles. Her background in agriculture includes crop production, livestock management, and management of natural lands for societal values. Cassandra is a U of S Alumni and has helped teach range health and coach the U of S range team. On collaborative projects with multiple stakeholders, Cassandra uses facilitation skills to improve project outcomes.

Cassandra enjoys travelling, hiking, beekeeping, fishing, and campfires.

 Katherine Johnson; BSc., A.I.T.

Junior Environmental Scientist (Rangeland)

Katherine is an environmental scientist based in Central Alberta and an Agrologist in Training. Katherine is a U of A Range Team Alumni with outstanding placings at the 75th Annual Society for Range Management Annual Meeting. Katherine placed 1st in the Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME) and 1st in the Combined for plant ID and URME. Katherine spent the last summer working as a research assistant at the U of A under Ed Bork at the U of A Kinsella Research Ranch. Katherine is skilled in field ecology, data entry, research, plant identification, and various methods of field sampling.  

In her spare time, Katherine enjoys horseback riding, reading, and spending time outdoors.

Ashley Easton; BSc., P.Ag

Senior Environmental Scientist

Ashley is a Professional Agrologist based in Calgary, specialising in soil, vegetation, reclamation and revegetation. She has been working in the reclamation industry for over ten years. She is highly experienced in environmental site assessment [ESA], including Phase 1/I [as per AEP and CSA standards], 2 [intrusive sampling] and 3 [remediation], spill response, site reclamation, revegetation, and reclamation certificate applications [RCAs]. Her technical skills also include soil and vegetation inventory, assessment and classification, including weed, introduced and native plant species identification by both spot and keying methods and wetland, rangeland and riparian assessment. She is also highly experienced in project management of varying types, sizes and complexities of projects, development and tracking of budgets, technical document preparation and document review, and leading and managing staff teams to complete project objectives. Ashley has instructed various courses and mentored and trained numerous junior and intermediate environmental scientists for technical, project management, leadership and teamwork skills. Ashley’s work experience has dominantly been focused within natural areas, urban, oil and gas [upstream and midstream], and mining sectors in central and southern Alberta and south-central Saskatchewan. While Ashley has worked in nearly all types of ecosystems, she has a strong love for grasslands. 

Ashley enjoys giving back to the industry and currently volunteers as a Director for the Canadian Land Reclamation Association - Alberta Chapter and as a Technical Advisory Committee member for the Grassland Restoration Forum. In her time away from work, she enjoys spending time with her growing family going on adventures, getting together with friends for some laughs and having the odd quiet moment to get into a book or quilting project.

 Clare Tannas; BSc.

Senior Rangeland Agrologist

Clare is a semi-retired Rangeland Agrologist with over 40 years of field experience. Initially working for ASRD Public Lands Division, he has extensive experience in rangeland inventories, air photo interpretation, plant community mapping, rare species management, reclamation monitoring, and weed management. Over his career, Clare has surveyed over one million acres of land and won the Alberta Emerald Award with Kathy Tannas for his environmental commitment. Clare was a pivotal contributor to publications on reclamation and to the "Common Plants of The Western Rangelands" publication by Kathy Tannas.