CLRA National 2021 Dr. Jack Winch Early Career Award Recipient: Chris Tenszen
Chris has over 10 year of experience in the environmental industry. He obtained a Diploma with Honours from Lakeland College in Conservation and Restoration Ecology and later graduated with a B.Sc. with Distinction from the University of Alberta in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, majoring in land reclamation. In 2016, he joined Trace Associates Inc. as a Senior Reclamation Advisor. In 2020, Chris took on the role of Practice Area Lead for Reclamation, which enables him to mentor and empower staff across the company in all aspects of reclamation across a variety of market sectors.
Chris is a Professional Agrologist and has focused his career in the reclamation field, and has an affinity sharing his experience and passion through coaching and mentoring others and in giving presentations. Chris is a natural speaker who routinely presents at conferences and to clients on emerging reclamation practices. Loyal to his educational background, he actively participates as a member of both the Lakeland College Advisor Committee – Conservation and Restoration Ecology Program and the University of Alberta Faculty of Extension Advisory Committee – Environmental Resource Management Certificate Program. He routinely participates in regulatory and stakeholder engagement sessions to define appropriate end land uses and reclamation objectives on both private and public lands.
Chris has an ability to simplify the complicated with perspectives that are unique and logical. He continues to explore and embrace reclamation practices and techniques that are innovative, outside norm thinking, and that allow our staff and clients to achieve great results (both economically and timely). He enjoys expanding his technical experience using bioengineering and silviculture techniques, and is well versed in grassland, forest, peatland, and wetlands environments, and is committed to the advancement of best practices.
Chris is keen to solve problems and share his knowledge with younger staff and is collaborative with clients, other practitioners, and students. An example of this was when Chris organized transplanting of plains rough fescue at several grassland projects with Lakeland College students. The photographs of the project show many smiles, and pride in the work they were doing. Not only was the experience memorable, but the project was successful.
His loyalty to his profession and his experience, along with his collaborative nature make others eager to work with him. He mentors many junior and intermediate staff members, both formally and informally. Throughout his career at Trace, he has lead the reclamation team by being humble, caring, and passionate about the work, the people, and the results. He is a great teacher and is engaging, patient, and makes time for others. Many people that have worked with Chris describe him as approachable, logical, and a problem-solver. They also can’t help but say “what a great guy”.
As an active practitioner, Chris’s ability to conduct research is limited and instead, he collaborates with staff and clients to implement new ideas and learn from the results.
About the Jack Winch
Early Career Award
This award honours Dr. Jack Winch principal founder and inaugural President of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association/Association Canadienne de Réhabilitation des Sites Dégradés (CLRA/ACRSD).
Subsequent to serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Jack earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Masters of Scientific Agriculture, from the University of Guelph and a PhD. in Agronomy from Cornell University. Jack joined the Crop Science Department of the University of Guelph, where he taught crop and forage production, and plant physiology, to diploma, undergraduate, and graduate students, until his retirement in 1986.
During his career, Jack made significant contributions to research, practice, and extension focusing on the evaluation and introduction of birdsfoot trefoil and crown vetch. The practice of using these plants was adopted broadly and led to the development of a robust trefoil industry in Ontario. His extension work led him across the province, engaging with the farm community and establishing demonstration projects. Jack is credited with developing a new, in vitro method for the evaluation of forage crops and establishing a new forage crop cutting methodology. His work attracted graduate students to the University of Guelph, from Canada and around the world.
Jack served a critical role in the direction of the land reclamation community, acknowledging the need for a professional organization to support the burgeoning, multidisciplinary field. In 1970, he was instrumental to the formation of the Ontario Cover Crops Committee. Recognizing that the land reclamation community would be better served by a formal organization, the Canadian Land Reclamation Association was established in 1975. Jack was elected President, a role in which he would serve for a three-year term. During his tenure, Jack’s leadership and direction were instrumental to the development of the CLRA, including its mandate and membership, and to the establishment of the annual meeting and reclamation-focused periodical, “Canadian Reclamation”. Since that time, the CLRA has continued to grow, having five Chapters across Canada, and members representing government, industry, and academia, from across Canada and around the world.
The award acknowledges the efforts of Early Career Reclamation Professionals. The award is presented annually at the CLRA National Conference to an individual in recognition of their outstanding contribution to reclamation research and practice.