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Tannas Conservation Services

Name: Tannas Conservation Services
Address: Box 31, Cremona, AB, CA
Telephone: 403-850-9052
Price range: $$

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Tannas Conservation Services

TCS is an environmental services company based outside of Calgary Alberta.

TCS provides a wide range of environmental services for the oil and gas industry, government, and Agricultural sector. Our company supplies the environmental industry with high quality environmental assessments, and planning services as well as educational services. With over 30 years experience working within western Canada our team has the comprehensive understanding of the needs of industry, th

e public and government. we focus on providing only the highest quality services combined with novel and innovative solutions to maximize the success of each project we are involved in. We have three Emerald Award Winners within our core personnel and our company is a finalist in the 2014 Emerald Awards.

06/11/2026

Part 4 of Fire Ecology Series: Invasive Grass Control

The success of invasive grass control with prescribed burning is dependent on a variety of conditions. The amount and timing of precipitation following the burn impacts the success of many species. Japanese brome requires high available soil moisture for successful germination, and these conditions can be created by a thick layer of litter or by regular precipitation. Fire removes the litter layer, which can result in drastically reduced germination of Japanese brome if there is insufficient precipitation.

When controlling non-native grass encroachment with fire, the type of native plants in the area is particularly important. Warm-season plants growing in a mesic environment are more likely to outcompete Kentucky bluegrass following a fire than cool-season plants in an arid environment. In the latter situation, there is a very narrow window for a burn to be successful, because the Kentucky bluegrass must be burned while it is tillering, but the burn must occur before the native plants have elongated. Downy brome is less competitive in mesic environments, and native perennials in mesic grasslands are likely to easily outcompete downy brome.

Some annual brome species can also impact fire regimes themselves. Over time, annual bromes create monocultures and large volumes of flammable fine fuels. This buildup shortens fire return intervals and creates larger, more continuous fires. Annual bromes are well-adapted to frequent fires and can quickly dominate following fire if environmental conditions are right. This creates a feedback loop that can fundamentally change the fire regimes in native-dominated ecosystems.

Writeup by Sarah Johnson, photos by Katherine Johnson

https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70208006

https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/46329

https://bioone.org/journals/western-north-american-naturalist/volume-69/issue-1/064.069.0118/Dynamic-Responses-of-a-British-Columbian-Forest-Grassland-Interface-to/10.3398/064.069.0118.short

06/09/2026

For today’s Meet the Team Monday we’d like to introduce our summer students! Please welcome Gavin Gentle, Dawson Bessette, and Pierce English!

06/06/2026

Today’s Flora Friday highlights Canadian gooseberry, Ribes oxycanthoides. It’s a shrub common in much of North America, where it is found throughout much of Canada and the United States. It is most common in forests and forest openings, but subspecies can also be found on open mountain slopes. It can grow to 1.5 m tall, with stems erect or spreading. Branches are bristly-hairy to spiny, with long nodal spines and brownish-grey bark. The leaves are alternate and rounded, to 5 cm wide, with 3-5 lobes reaching to half the length of the leaf. Lobes are rounded and toothed. Leaves are glandular hairy. The stalks supporting the leaves are equal to or longer than the blades and are densely hairy. Flowers grow in an inflorescence of up to 3 flowers forming a short raceme. The petals are white, to 3.5 mm long, while the hypanthium is slightly longer, to 6 mm, and cylindrical to bell shaped. The calyx is greenish white and glabrous or finely hairy. The styles are fused and equal the stamens. Styles are soft hairy for about half their length. Berries are round and range in colour from red to purple. They are to 1.2 cm long and do not have any hairs.

Photo and writeup by Katherine Johnson

06/04/2026

Part 3 of Fire Ecology Series: W**d Control with Prescribed Burning

Fire can be a powerful tool when it comes to invasive species management, but it is also possible for it to drastically increase invasive species issues. There are many invasive species which may flourish as a result of burning under certain circumstances, such as downy brome (Bromus tectorum) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Other species are not significantly impacted by fire, like leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and quackgrass (Elymus repens). The effectiveness of burning treatments is often determined by the timing of the fire, the competitiveness of native plants in the area, and the available soil moisture following the fire.

When using prescribed fire to control invasive species, timing is crucial. The impacts of spring or fall burning on various species of invasives have been extensively studied. Both smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) are best burned in spring when they are putting tillers out. The reduction in carbohydrate reserves as a result of the energy expenditure required to produce tillers makes it difficult for the grasses to resprout once they are burned. The effective burn-window for Canada thistle is debated, but repeated spring burns between May and June have the potential to control the w**d, while burns earlier in the spring can actually increase the shoot density.

Tannas Conservation Services is partnered with the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange to continue researching, exploring, and implementing prescribed fire in environmental management across western Canada.

Writeup by Sarah Johnson, photos by Sarah Johnson and Katherine Johnson

Interactions between fire and invasive plants in temperate grasslands of North America
https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70208006

Using resistance and resilience concepts to reduce impacts of invasive annual grasses and altered fire regimes on the sagebrush ecosystem and greater sage-grouse: A strategic multi-scale approach
https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-326

Dynamic Responses of a British Columbian Forest-Grassland Interface to Prescribed Burning
https://doi.org/10.3398/064.069.0118

05/29/2026

Today’s Flora Friday highlights Lomatium ambiguum or swale desert-parsley. In BC, this species is ranked S5, or secure. It seems to require open habitats and otherwise is not very picky, as it can be found on a variety of habitats including rocky slopes, shrubland gaps, and dry meadows. It can occur over bedrock in moss, and in a variety of moisture conditions, from dry sites to quite wet seepages with spring snowmelt runoff, though it likely requires dry summer conditions. It ranges from Utah northwest to southern BC and does not reach AB.

Lomatium is a genus in the Apiaceae or carrot family and has many small flowers grouped into umbels. In western Canada, there are at least twelve yellow-flowered Lomatium species, though generally only 3 to 4 are present in a given area, and they mostly differ in leaf structure and other assessed at a glance characters, with the exception of south central and eastern BC where L. ambiguum, L. triternatum, and L. simplex all occur and look very similar. All are members of the L. triternatum complex, which is the subject of a paper with a rare pun in the title: “Try Tri again? Resolving species boundaries in the Lomatium triternatum (Apiaceae) complex”. L. ambiguum and L. triternatum often look extremely similar and some individuals can appear intermediate. Both have leaves divided several times into skinny lobes that end in groups of three. L. triternatum has longer lobes that are often pointy, while those of L. ambiguum should be shorter and appear more rounded. L. ambiguum fruits should also have narrower wings, though these are very difficult to locate since they mature after the rest of the plant has withered.

Some Lomatium species have underground tubers and are a traditional food for First Nations, though L. ambiguum does not produce a particularly notable tuber, it would be more worth it to collect seeds, grow them, and experiment with the new seeds as a dill/cumin style spice. Flowering early in spring, it supports many spring bees, some of them quite uncommon mining bees that likely specialize in part on Lomatium pollen.

Photos and writeup by Rowan Rampton.

-parsley

05/27/2026

Part 2 of Fire Ecology Series: Prescribed Burning in Grasslands

The suppression of fire in grasslands has contributed to widespread woody encroachment, which is a significant threat to endangered grassland ecosystems across the prairies. Prescribed burning is often cited as a powerful tool to control woody encroachment, though the effectiveness of this approach has often been found to be variable. Intensity, frequency, and timing of prescribed fires significantly impact the degree of control it is able to exert, and improper handling of fire can result in increases of woody species such as trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), bog birch (Betula pumila), and willows (Salix spp.) Integrated management that also incorporates elements such as grazing, mechanical control, and spraying can help ensure a higher success rate of woody species control.

The USDA has a Fire Effects Information system with information on species interactions with fire at https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews.

The usage of prescribed fire is frequently limited by institutional and jurisdictional barriers. Negative public perceptions of fire across much of North America often create resistance against the application of prescribed fire as a tool. The Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange was created in 2012 to support interagency cooperation in the pursuit of prescribed fire research and utilization, and its members have worked to bring awareness of the benefits of and best practices for prescribed fire to practitioners and members of the public across the prairies.

Writeup by Sarah Johnson, photos by Sarah Johnson and Darin Sherritt

https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70035
https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v127i1.1407

05/25/2026

Happy meet the team Monday! Today we are welcoming Nikida Marshall to the reclamation team.

Hello! My name is Nikida. I am a graduate from NAIT and from the University of Alberta where I pursued the Conservation Biology program. Some of my experience includes agronomy and w**ds research with Agriculture Canada, and recently working for the Alberta Energy Regulator as part of their reclamation team auditing reclamation certificates. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends as much as I can! You can find me helping out on the family grain and cattle farm, backcountry camping with our horses or snowmobiling in the mountains during winter with close friends and family.

05/23/2026

This week’s Flora Friday features Prairie-Smoke, Geum triflorum. This rhizomatous perennial forb is commonly found across the prairies in dry, wide open spaces. From its caudex, the plant produces numerous leaves that form a basal rosette. The leaves, which range from 5–30 cm long, are pinnately compound with 9–19 leaflets arranged along a central stem, increasing in size toward the tip. Their margins are divided, toothed or lobed, and covered in fine hairs. Flower stalks emerge from the centre of the rosette and can be up to 40cm tall with smaller reduced leaves on the stalk below the flower head. The flowers occur in cymes of one to five, although three is the most common, and therefore the origin of the alternate common name, three-flowered avens. The five sepals and flower stalk are pink and nodding, appearing from May to June, with five bracts on the sepals radiating outwards. The five petals are a light cream or pink though are usually hidden by the sepals. Each flower contains numerous pistils and stamens. Once pollinated, the flower heads turn upwards and the styles attached to the achenes grow long and feathery, looking like smoke.
Because the flowers remain mostly closed, the plant is primarily pollinated by small bees. However, some insects chew holes in the top of the flower (picture 3) to steal the nectar for themselves.

Writeup and photos by Haley Lacza

05/20/2026

Part 1 of Fire Ecology Series: History of Fire in North America

At Tannas Conservation Services, exploration and research of new and developing ecological questions has always been a priority. The influence of wildfire on natural ecosystems, impact of long-term fire suppression, and potential for the use of prescribed fire to improve ecosystem functionality are topics that are near and dear to many at our company. In this series, we hope to communicate some of the key concepts, uses, and issues around fire in our natural ecosystems.

Fire has been a key component of the natural ecosystem throughout much of North America for millions of years, and indigenous people in many areas used fire to create or maintain favourable ecosystems. The arrival of Europeans in North America brought a brief surge in fire use to clear land, followed by a long-term regime of fire suppression. As a result of fire suppression, land-use alterations, and climate change, larger fire events and higher severity fires have grown increasingly common. In some areas, large-scale landscape structure depends on relatively frequent, low-severity burns, which create complex mosaics that make ideal wildlife habitat. However, higher severity fires can create negative outcomes for wildlife habitat. Prescribed fire only reemerged as a mainstream land management strategy in the mid 20th century, and has been used for wildfire hazard reduction, silviculture management, wildlife habitat enhancement, range quality improvement, and insect and disease control.

Writeup by Sarah Johnson, photos by Darin Sherritt

https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00463-x
https://doi.org/10.5558/tfc68324-3
https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22507

05/15/2026

Today’s Flora Friday highlights Venus-slipper, Calypso bulbosa. It is a low perennial herb growing from a solid ovoid bulb, from which its specific epithet is derived. Venus-slipper occurs in the subarctic and temperate northern hemisphere and is commonly found in the southern Rocky Mountains and the Cypress Hills. It grows in moist, cool, shaded coniferous or mixedwood forests and in bogs. It does not respond well to disturbance pressure and is most commonly found in sheltered areas on the forest floor. Venus-slipper is one of the more prolific orchids in Alberta.

The scapes (leafless flower stalks) are 5 to 20 cm tall, with 2 to 3 small sheathing bracts. The leaves are solitary, round-ovate, and long-petioled. At maturity, the leaves measure between 2 to 4 cm in length and 1 to 5 cm in width. The leaf is produced at the top of the corm in the autumn and persists through the winter, remaining green until flowering occurs. The leaf will wither shortly after the flower is produced in the summer. Flowering generally occurs in May or June, once the snow has completely melted, and the flowers wither by early July.

The flowers are solitary or rarely in pairs and are perfect (hermaphroditic). The sepals and lateral petals are alike and can be 1 to 2 cm long. The petals range from pink to purple with three deeper purple veins. The petals are lanceolate and ascend over the lip, which is inflated and sac-like.The lip (labellum), may be white, yellow, or purplish, with conspicuous purple spots and streaks. The lip can be 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length, with a wide cavity in the back. The flower is yellow-pubescent inside, with two united pollinia sessile on a broad gland per sac. The capsules are about 1 cm long.

Venus-slippers can live for up to 5 years. They form a new bulb each year, but bulbs from one or even two years ago may remain firmly attached. Venus-slippers cannot self-pollinate, and rely primarily on bumblebees. When a bee begins to crawl into the flower, the deciduous anther sticks to the bee’s thorax. The flower contains no nectar, so the bee will back out again, pressing the anther against the stigma, facilitating pollination.

The genus name Calypso likely refers to the nymph of the same name found in Homer’s Odyssey. The name derives from the ancient Greek word for “hidden” or “conceal,” which suits this plant given its preferred habitat in sheltered areas in the forest.

Writeup by Sarah Johnson, photos by Sarah Johnson and Katherine Johnson

Address

Box 31
Cremona, AB

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

403-850-9052

Website

http://www.tannasenvironmental.com/

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