None of us were prepared for the dark and tiring year that was 2020. But it wasn't all bad! Even though most of our exec aren't practiced photographers we still thought we'd try our hand at the recent photo COC contest. So here we present to you the little things that kept our executive team happy throughout the year.
(Photos submitted by the execs themselves)
David - New ecosystems
"I got the chance to learn a lot more about the urban outdoor spaces near my parents home in Montreal and had the amazing experience of living on Vancouver Island for an entire semester where I explored the temperate rainforests of BC! The included picture is of Niagara Falls in Goldstream Provincial Park (named after the other waterfall of the same name and exact same height!)."
- David
Sophie - Embroidery
"During the dark days of the lockdown when we were told not to leave our houses unless we were going for a daily walk, I had a hard time keeping my mind happy without having busy hands. So I started learning to embroider with some thread that I had from old needlework projects, and my curtains (because I had no other fabric lol). A lot of the inspiration for my embroidery came from the flowers I’d see on my daily walks outside, so I’d take pictures of them and try to recreate them on my curtains. It kept my hands busy, which kept my mind out of the gloominess."
- Sophie
Salar - Finding ways to adapt to the cold
"These past couple pandemic months, I wanted to see how well my body could adjust to the cold and see if I could be better at adapting to colder environments. I started by practicing different breathing techniques (Wim Hoff) and eventually found/ created my own breathing technique, which helps me a lot in cold environments. Following this, I decided to take cold showers everyday at the end of my shower, at the start I could withstand the cold water for up to 30-45 second and I have finally reached the point where I can take my entire shower ice cold and enjoy it. After doing this for 5 months, the result is that I found a genuine appreciation for the cold and my own body. With the power of the mind, anything is possible."
-Salar
Lou - Hiking
" I did a lot of hikes in 2020 and because I m pretty new in Canada, it was a super fun way to discover the area. It also helps a lot with my anxiety."
- Lou
Emma - Snowboarding
"I was able to go snowboarding a lot more than previous years. This year was definitely boring being inside a lot, but from snowboarding I was able to get outside and play around in the snow!"
- Emma
Brandon - Kayaking
"This hidden alligator (bottom picture) gave a friend quite the scare during a kayaking trip which erupted in much laughter. In that rare moment, I had forgotten what it was like to truly laugh in a climate of discord and hopes of restitution. This moment had no time limit."
- Brandon
Tasha - Identifying Trees
"I have always wanted to be able to identify trees but tragically like most things in life I never seemed to get around to it. Then last august I was given "Eastern Trees" by Petrides & Wehr (a tree ID book) and I no longer had an excuse! I brought this book with me on all of my walks for the next few months. I'd go out of my way to cross parks so that I could hopefully discover new tress. Both learning and nature make me happy, so this was definitely a bright spot on an overall gloomy year."
- Tasha