Here at Compass we hope you all had a very merry, if slightly different, Christmas, and are excited for the new year! Today we’re bringing you our final Christmas blog post, which is the second instalment of our favourite photos from the lockdown photo competition we held last term. Thank you to everyone who sent in their favourite photos taken during lockdowns from locations all over the world. We hope you enjoy them, and see you in 2021!
1. Eva Greatorex
Undergraduate
Left: Taken on South Milton beach near my house. This beach regularly has the best sunsets. I liked the way the two seagulls sitting on this headland were silhouetted against the sunset. The wave in the foreground is also drawing back preparing the break, which gives a sheen of water percolating through the fine sand acting as a distorted mirror for the colours of the sunset.
Right: This was taken by Loch Muich in Scotland. This wild goose became rather territorial and interested in us. He later joined forces with his friend and followed us down the track for a bit.
2. Josh Paul
Undergraduate
Two pictures taken in Cambridge during lockdown.
3. Michael Overton
PhD student
I am currently undertaking ethnographic fieldwork on “rewilding” in Germany and Poland. These are shots of rewilded spaces where historical human uses appear to dissolve into “nature” by design. These images show one of the first wildlife guides to begin to make a living from these new natures in the far northwest of Poland, navigating meadows which were once cut and drained in search of recently introduced and specially bred “wild” horses.
4. Mrunmayee
MPhil Conservation Leadership
This is a picture of Kemmangundi-Bababudangiri mountain range of Western Ghats of India. It is one of the few zero extinction sites identified in the world. The area faces severe threat due to unregulated tourism with expansion of luxury resorts, unlimited number of tourist’s visit, widening of roads etc, fire and forest encroachment. Previously, the area was threatened by iron ore mining activities and proposals to install over 200 windmills on the mountains, which were stalled by legal battles lead by the grassroots NGOs WildCAT-C and Bhadra Wildlife Conservation Trust. Considering the proposal made by these NGOs, the Government accorded protection status to the area in 2018 and declared it as “Mullayyanagiri Conservation Reserve”. The final notification of the area is expected soon. This is a big success for 30 years of conservation efforts and hope for future conservation of several threatened flora and fauna. During the lockdown, the landscape was free of any anthropogenic pressure and looked stunningly beautiful and peaceful as this.
5. Peter Martin
Postdoctoral research associate
These were taken at the chalk pits in Cherry Hinton (on the outskirts of Cambridge) in April during the height of the lockdown. I usually travel back to Scotland to see my friends and family around Easter time but obviously that wasn’t possible this year. Instead, me and my partner explored the local area around Cambridge and went to places we wouldn’t otherwise have gone – including the chalk pits. We had a go at stone stacking while we were there and the sunny weather meant the chalk was particularly vibrant that day. I thought the nature of the photos might make them appealing to both physical and human geographers!
6. Roxanne Corbeil
MPhil Geographical Research
Left: Diablo Lake in the North Cascades of Washington, emblematic of the complexities of man-made reservoirs, gains its hue from “glacial flour” arriving by way of the many alpine streams feeding the lake.
Right: Hidden Lake during Montana’s short summer – a grizzly bear hotspot!
7. Reuben Goh
Undergraduate
8. Izzy Taylor
Undergraduate
This was taken from Branksome Chine beach, Dorset. I love the dramatic colours and textures of the cloud, as well as the way the light glistens on the water surface. You can also see people playing in the sea and enjoying a walk along the beach despite the impending storm…perhaps a metaphor for lockdown.
9. Prenrna Bindra
PhD Student
Balcony Birding: These two photographs are from my home in the Gurgaon -National Capital Region of Delhi, India. We have a ground floor flat, and it is practice to have a bird feeder and an earthen bowl of water for the birds. The dining spot and the waterhole are quite popular with the birds. In lockdown time, when we were confined to our homes, watching these birds from my balcony gave me lot of solace, and comfort, and I spent many hours watching them. It was nice to see them fly free. The silverbills appeared to be somewhat of a bully edging out the other birds who came to dine!
10. Sebastian Mitchell
Undergraduate
Left: Half a church in Rutland
Right: Morning mist rises in the Cotswolds
Thanks for joining us this year on the Compass blog! If you’ve got pictures you’d like us to publish, an article you want to see in the magazine or a blog post you think needs to be written, let us know at compass@cugs.co.uk. See you in the new year!