Leonard is a senior soil consultant with over 30 years experience in Canada and abroad. His expertise extends into several fields of specialty that include: soils, applications to environment, agriculture and forestry. He has led and conducted all aspects of land resource development:

• * Soil inventories and evaluations

• * Environmental impact assessments

• * Conservation and reclamation planning

• * Soil salvage, reclamation and remediation

• * Identification of potential sites with stress, corrosion, and cracking on pipelines

• * Soil suitability for sewage disposal

• * Research and literature reviews

During the past decade he has been very active in the oil sands region:

• * Developed the Land Capability Classification System for Forest Ecosystems in the Oil Sands

• * Conducted numerous predisturbance assessments

• * Developed reclamation and closure plans

• * Assessed reclaimed soils

• * Conducted field research and long term monitoring

• * Hydrocarbon mapping in natural soils

• * Participated in multidisciplinary working groups

He is involved in similar work involving several coal mines in Alberta.

Since 1993, he has taught the Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated Facilities Course for Enform. In addition, he has guest lectured at the University of Alberta and taught an extension course. In the fall of 2007 he taught Soils 420 (Soil Formation and Landscape Processes) at the University of Alberta.

"As we care for the Earth, the Earth cares for us."

Jeff completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Biology and Ecology at the University of Alberta in 2000. He obtained his Master of Science degree in Soil Ecology from the University of British Columbia in 1992.

Jeff’s professional experience includes:

• * Soil fauna surveys and identification

• * Development of sampling protocols for various research programs

• * Species level identification of oribatid mites and Collembola

• * Database development

• * Data management and analysis using a variety of computer programs.

Jeff has conducted fieldwork in agricultural, grassland and forest ecosystems. He has worked with various provincial and federal government agencies as well as Canadian universities and private companies. Jeff wrote the terrestrial arthropod sampling protocols that are being used by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. He was awarded an Industrial Associateship from the Alberta Ingenuity Fund for 2004 until 2006 which enabled Paragon to expand into soil ecology.

Throughout his professional career, Jeff has presented a number of posters and oral presentations. He has also published numerous papers and reports dealing with soil fauna.

"To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering"
- A. Leopold (1953)

For over a decade Lee has had the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of soils and environmental projects, in a number of capacities. Specializing in soil survey, stress, corrosion and cracking modeling, and environmental impact assessment, he has been involved in many of the largest resource development projects in the province.

Lee’s experience covers:

• * Soil survey for pipelines and mines

• * Conservation and reclamation planning

• * Soils and terrain environmental impact assessment

• * SCC risk modeling

• * Air photo interpretation

• * Land capability assessments

• * Oil sands (open-pit and steam assisted gravity drainage)

• * Coal mine mapping and reclamation auditing

Lee has mapped thousands of kilometers of pipeline right-of-way and over 100,000 hectares of land associated with oil sands developments. His experience includes a large variety of industrial and agricultural projects in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Manitoba.

"One of the most immediate benefits I take from my work is a unique, first-hand view of many of the largest industrial developments in the world. We have an excellent opportunity to advance the field of reclamation by leaps and bounds."

Wade completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, majoring in Land Reclamation and Remediation, at the University of Alberta in 2002. He also has his Permanent Land Agent License (Government of Alberta), which he obtained in 2004.

His professional experience includes:

• * Conservation and reclamation planning

• * Phase I and II environmental site assessments

• * Environmental audits

• * Oil sands mapping and soil capability

• * Salvage of suitable topsoils and subsoils

• * Soil survey for pipelines, stress, corrosion and cracking assessment , environmental impact assessments, and land irrigability classification

Specific reclamation experience includes:

• * Management of wellsite reclamation projects (including supervision of field activities, reporting, client liaison, safety coordination and cost control)

• * Detailed site assessments

• * Reclamation certification application for wellsites in Alberta

• * Management of land reclamation at the Wabamun derailment site

• * Planning and supervision of suitable topsoil and subsoil salvage in the oil sands

Wade has also negotiated surface leases, mineral leases and pipeline easements throughout Alberta and has participated in conflict resolution between landowners and various oil and gas companies.

"True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing."
- Socrates

Carlos completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Management, and Masters of Business Administration in Agricultural Enterprises from the University of Popayan in Columbia, South America. Since arriving in Canada in 1999, Carlos has obtained his Certificate in Environmental Resources Management from the University of Alberta. Carlos is currently taking his Masters of Science in Environment and Management through Royal Roads University in Victoria.

Carlos’s professional environmental experience includes:

• * Soil surveys and vegetation classification

• * Soil and vegetation plot monitoring

• * Supervision of soil salvage operations on wellsites and in the oil sands

• * # A soil moisture study in sandy soils in the oil sands

• * Wellsite reclamation

• * Stress, corrosion and cracking risk assessment

• * Environmental impact assessments

• * Land capability classification

• * Reclamation of sites impacted by train derailments

Carlos also has professional experience in forestry conducting reforestation analyses for commercial forestry applications. His experience in agriculture includes farm land assessment surveys and management of research and commercial crop programs.

"Paciencia y calma son la clave del exito (Calm and patience is the key for success)."
- V. M. Samael Aun Wear

Scott completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, majoring in Land Reclamation and Remediation, at the University of Alberta in 2003.

His professional experience includes:

• * Soil mapping

• * Conservation and reclamation planning

• * Land capability classification for forestry and agriculture

• * Selection of suitable topsoil and subsoil materials

• * Mapping of hydrocarbons in natural soils

• * Soil suitability for sewage disposal

He has also conducted soil surveys for pipelines and coal mines in the Prairies and Foothills and conducted several projects in the Fort McMurray and Cold Lake oil sands regions. Prior to joining Paragon, Scott worked in the Environmental Department for Syncrude Canada Ltd.

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

Takele completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environmental Soil Physics from the University of Saskatchewan in 2006. He obtained an M.Sc. degree in Soil Science in 2003. Takele joined Paragon in 2006 as a soil physicist and modeling specialist.

His areas of expertise include:

• * Ecological process modeling

• * Water management under saturated and unsaturated conditions

• * Contaminant transport

• * Landscape analysis

• * Research design

• * Data mining

• * Advanced spatial statistics.

Takele’s professional experience includes:

• * Conducting an inventory of hydrocarbon-affected natural soils in the oil sands region

• * Soil moisture characterization in reclaimed sandy soils of the Fort McMurray area

• * Modeling the role of soil layering on soil water balance and root water uptake

• * Identifying benchmark locations for soil moisture and nutrient mapping

• * Characterizing the effect of high levels of manure applications on surface soil physical and   chemical qualities in southern Saskatchewan soils.

Takele has published eight peer reviewed journal articles on soil physics and hydrology issues between 2004 and 2007. He is one of the 2006 NSERC postdoctoral fellowship award winners for research and academic excellence.

"The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself"
- F.D. Roosevelt

Todd completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, majoring in Land Reclamation, at the University of Alberta in 2006. He also has a technical diploma in Renewable Resource Management, which he obtained in 2003 from Lethbridge Community College.

His professional experience includes:

• * Soil surveys

• * Phase I and II environmental site assessments

• * Wellsite reclamation

• * Reclamation of sites impacted by train derailments

• * Reclamation materials stripping and placement in the oil sands region

• * Air photo interpretation

• * Environmental audits

When he is away from the demands of work, Todd continues to play goal for a local hockey team, support the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and spend time at the lake.

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Sarah completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, majoring in Land Reclamation, at the University of Alberta in 2007.

Sarah joined the Paragon team in 2007. Her areas of interest in soils and vegetation apply to baseline inventories and reclamation.

"The future depends on what we do in the present."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Nina received her degree in Environmental and Conservation Sciences with a major in Land Reclamation in 2007 from the University of Alberta.

In 2005, Nina received an NSERC grant to work in Dr. Sylvie Quideau’s biogeochemistry lab. She performed various soil laboratory tests and focused specifically on phospholipid fatty acid extraction. Nina started with Paragon as a summer student in 2006 and is continuing permanently in 2007. She is gaining valuable soil mapping and surveying and vegetation identification experience in the oil sands and on pipelines around Alberta. Her interests are in soils, vegetation and ecosite characterization.

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright."
- Henry David Thoreau