COLSA Photo Contest Entries
COLSA students, faculty and staff: It's time to vote!
Please select your top three (3) favorite photos, then click on the link below.
Voting will close on Friday, Nov. 19.
And the 2021 winners are....
First Place
Christine Bunyon
Grad student
Photo of the Mount Washington Observatory and Cog Railway from the Gulfside Trail taken this past summer. Hiking sustains me. This photo was taken as the sun was rising over the horizon. For me, there is just something about being in the alpine zone while the world is waking up that makes me feel alive and in complete pease at the same time.
Nathan Superchi '24
This photo is taken by a lake a mile from my house that I used to drive by every morning before work and school. I grew up watching the ice come in and out, birds using it as a stop for migration and seeing birds I had never seen before, watching otter sit on the thin ice eating fish I wish I was catching, and eagles grow up on the far side of the lake. I enjoyed waking up early in the morning for work and school and getting to see sunrises like this one. Hundreds of times I would leave early for wherever I was going to spend ten minutes watching the sunrise to get away from the rest of the world and whatever was going on in my head. It’s something that I can’t imagine going without which lead me to wanting to protect places like these for the future.
Maggie Sturtevant '22
This is a picture I took on a hike to the summit of Mt. Tecumseh this fall. It was a cool morning and there was a layer of fog covering most of the trail. I started the hike right with the sunrise, and as it rose, beams of light came through the fog giving this brilliant glow onto some of the bright green vegetation. To be able to step away from things, and be outside in the elements, allows for a certain kind of peace and refuge that not a lot of other places give me. I love being able to go escape for a day or a weekend and get some perspective on things.
1. Connecting with the growing and harvesting of the food we eat is nourishing.
2. Once every few weeks, my family and I take a picnic dinner to Drake's Island in Wells, ME. We kick the soccer ball around, search in tidepools for treasures and watch the sun set over the Atlantic. We usually have the beach all to ourselves or share it with the kinship of likeminded people. By the time it gets dark, we are sandy and tired and relaxed in a way only created by the magic combination of salt air, ocean waves and time together. I arrive empty, and leave with my cup running over every time.Once every few weeks, my family and I take a picnic dinner to Drake's Island in Wells, ME. We kick the soccer ball around, search in tidepools for treasures and watch the sun set over the Atlantic. We usually have the beach all to ourselves or share it with the kinship of likeminded people. By the time it gets dark, we are sandy and tired and relaxed in a way only created by the magic combination of salt air, ocean waves and time together. I arrive empty and leave with my cup running over every time.
3. This is a picture I took at snack time at the farm I worked at this summer. Every day for snack, we create a wonderful compilation of veggies and herbs from the field, all atop a rice cake. When I read the theme "What Sustains You," this came to mind immediately. Not only because of how it literally sustains us all throughout the long, hot days of work, but because it's a reminder of what I love about working with the land. It reminds me of the power that lies in the field we work in; the ability to cultivate and grow food, serving our community. The dirt under my fingernails reminds me of the feeling of exhaustion at the end of a long July day, a feeling I love. There is something special about preparing a bed, planting a seed, weeding and maintaining the area, harvesting the fruit it produces, and then allowing it to fuel you as you do it all over again; indulging in every moment of the process.
4. This picture was taken a few years ago. It was one of the hardest hikes I have ever done, and the most rewarding. The trail was unmarked with steep elevation gains. Delta Lake in the Grand Teton National Park showed how beautiful things are worth working hard for. So, as I went through my undergrad and now through my masters, it is worth knowing that even though this is a difficult journey and I might not always know the path, the result will be worth it.
5. This photo is taken by a lake a mile from my house that I used to drive by every morning before work and school. I grew up watching the ice come in and out, birds using it as a stop for migration and seeing birds I had never seen before, watching otter sit on the thin ice eating fish I wish I was catching, and eagles grow up on the far side of the lake. I enjoyed waking up early in the morning for work and school and getting to see sunrises like this one. Hundreds of times I would leave early for wherever I was going to spend ten minutes watching the sunrise to get away from the rest of the world and whatever was going on in my head. It’s something that I can’t imagine going without which lead me to wanting to protect places like these for the future.
6. The barn is what sustains me. 6am feed time the birds chirp, the horses Nickerson I'm excitement. The bunnies are still playing in the barnyard. You feed and then there's this silence filled with the munching of happy horses, it's pure bliss. It's an atmosphere that feels at home like everything outside of it disappeared and it's you and the barn now.
7. This image was taken on top of a Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite after a day of rock climbing. This image is meaningful to me as it represents the reward of rock climbing and gives an example of a location that most people don't get to experience.
8. Attached is a photo of a Green Heron. The image was taken at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This is a place where I spent quite a bit of time taking photos growing up.
9. This is an image of Sunset Beach in Brewster, Massachusetts. I have spent some time every summer at this beach for as long as I can remember.
10. This is an image of a Red Fox kit taken on the property I grew up on in Henniker, New Hampshire. Over the years just about every species of animal you might expect ended up wandering through our yard, including a resident family of foxes which returned every year.
11. James Hall after the "rain" from the ginkgo tree. My home away from home!
12. The calm before the storm... This is my new home and the start of the next chapter in my life!
13. Glen Boulder trail headed toward the summit of Mt. Isolation. The mountains are my escape and a challenge as I am hiking the NH 48/4000 footers. This was number 27!
14. What sustains me is being in the mountains. It is a constant reminder for me to put life in perspective and conquer new obstacles every day.
15. Hard work and determination - A piggie palace that my husband built from scratch with the pigs we raise enjoying it.
16. This garlic demonstrates hours of hard work on our family farm. Our farm is a side hustle we do on top of our day jobs.
17. This is a picture I took on a hike to the summit of Mt. Tecumseh this fall. It was a cool morning and there was a layer of fog covering most of the trail. I started the hike right with the sunrise, and as it rose, beams of light came through the fog giving this brilliant glow onto some of the bright green vegetation. To be able to step away from things, and be outside in the elements, allows for a certain kind of peace and refuge that not a lot of other places give me. I love being able to go escape for a day or a weekend and get some perspective on things.
18. this is my bearded dragon dani and she is at my house. i am always so excited to see her when u go home and she’s excited to see me! she hears my voice and comes over to the cage “like pictured here” we are best buds and she reminds me of home.
19. Sunrise at the Woodman Farm. Considering the state of the world now with the pandemic, it is important to remember that tomorrow brings a new day and the sun always shines!
20. Every morning, I walk our sheep out to their daily new grazing area, sort of a daily migration - and it's my favorite part of the day. This is an early morning in October when the sun was just peeking through the trees, lighting up this gorgeous foggy meadow.
21. Cabbages, all tucked together showing off gorgeous symmetry and color. Maybe I'm weird, but I find few things more beautiful and sustaining than healthy crop plants.
22. A view from an early morning walk, this photo captures so much of what I love about where we live: a mix of stone and meadow and trees, foggy mist about to burn off in the sun, striking blue sky and, a bit hard to see in the distance, sheep heading in my direction along their well-worn path.
23. Photo of the Mount Washington Observatory and Cog Railway from the Gulfside Trail taken this past summer. Hiking sustains me. This photo was taken as the sun was rising over the horizon. For me, there is just something about being in the alpine zone while the world is waking up that makes me feel alive and in complete peace at the same time.
24. I took this photo at the Durham Reservoir on October 1, 2021 during my BIOL 412H lab. It is meaningful because it represents what is still to be learned about nature. On the surface, the reservoir is beautiful and the perfect habitat for many organisms. However, that is not the case. Under the surface, the water quality is extremely poor, making the reservoir a hostile environment and unsuitable habitat for many organisms such as fish. Similar to the pond, at a quick glance, nature is beautiful and stunning but there is still so much we have yet to learn once we dig under the surface. There are so many unexplored facets of nature.
25. This is a photo of a mountain goat taken in South Dakota in the Black Hills region. I spent the summer there and it was amazing to see all of the different wildlife., especially one that is usually hidden.
26. This picture was taken on a mule deer farm in South Dakota where I worked this summer. The experience was amazing and I loved working with the fawns.
27. Prairie dogs are a keystone species and help to sustain the environment. This picture was taken in the Badlands of South Dakota. Not only do they help maintain the ecosystem, but they are very cute as well!
28. This photo was taken at Prescott Park (Portsmouth, NH) and features the team of gardeners: Fiona Curran ('22), Vincent Brigagliano ('23), and Earle Chase (alum). All are current or past UNH students, and as I was an intern at Prescott for two summers, the park holds a lot of value in my heart.
29. The subject of this photo is a male barred owl who was a frequent visitor at the Wild Gardens of Acadia where I interned this summer, and one of my favorite things about this internship was showing people wildlife. Many people I pointed this owl out to had never seen one before, and I loved seeing visitors, especially young kids, get excited about wildlife.
30. This is the sunset over Stone Barn Farm Conservation Area on Mount Desert Island, and it was my favorite place on the island.
31. Sunset over the Dover Recycling Plant. Doesn't get much more sustainable than a recycling plant, and it was a lovely sunset.
32. Entrance to College Woods Across the Reservoir. Beautiful during any season, a perfect portal from campus life into nature.
34. COVID-19 has been great for back yard birding, even if this baby oriole would clearly rather go back to bed.
35. A river trip through the Grand Canyon is both awe inspiring and a fascinating journey through the Earth's history.
36. Growing up on Cape Cod the ocean has been an essential part of who I am. This photo was taken at Sandy Neck Beach, Barnstable, MA in my hometown. Sunsets by the sea have always been where I've felt the greatest sense of peace, they are where I celebrate, grieve, contemplate and grow and are almost always paired with a swim regardless of the season. Sunsets at Sandy Neck have always been a gathering place for friends, and a place for remembering our friends who we've lost who are always with us in the sunset.
37. Sunrise on Mount Moosilauke. At least once a year since before I was born my extended have all gathered in the White Mountains for a yearly hike, typically up Mount Washington. My grandfather up until 2014 always led the way for our pack as we made our way up the trail each of us knowing a chocolate bar sits in our pack as a reward for when we make it to the top. As I grew older, the mountains have held a greater piece of my heart, they were the place I went to when I felt completely lost in life, but following the trails on the worn map I had control of finding my way while in the mountains. Sunrises in the mountains became a lifeline for me after losing a close friend, they left me with the importance of living every second of every day, which you can't do if you sleep through sunrise.
38. Lupine in the Rockies. Growing up I wanted to go to Disney World more than anything, solely because everyone else got to go, but my parents held strong on their position that they would never take me. Now I look back and I'm nothing but thankful that we never went to Disney, not just because I learned in college after one roller coaster experience that I am strongly averse to them, but because instead they brought us to a different National Park every couple of years. Each trip was full of exploring, learning and discovering, something I have strived to continue doing on my own. This picture is from one of my first solo trips to a national park outside of the northeast, I took time to explore the Colorado Rockies but this moment of the trip I took the time to embrace the little things and reflect on my gratitude for all those trips that weren't to Disney.
39. This photo was taken at Woodman Farm in late September. One of my favorite aspects of research is when I get to be outside, especially when the weather is as exceptional as this.
40. Hiking with my pup brings joy, especially in the beauty of the White Mountains.
41. Daily walks in the woods keep me going. This colorful canopy is in my favorite conservation land in Barrington, where I walk with my dog, husband and friends regularly.
42. The dahlias in this bouquet were grown in my garden, which nourishes my body and soul.
43. This shot captures so much of what sustains me ... Learning about the other species we share this world with. Teaching through shared, meaningful experiences. Witnessing other people feel the same awe and joy that I do whenever I interact with turtles. Working outside and having access to beautiful natural areas within walking distance of my office and our indoor classrooms.
44. Finding froglets and toadlets in the garden or walking in the woods always makes me smile and feel grateful. This gray treefrog metamorph (and hundreds of others) left the pond and found its way into our garden. I have studied amphibians and reptiles for twenty years, but every time I encounter one in my own backyard it feels particularly meaningful, as if they also feel the kinship.
45. Every time I stare eye to eye with a turtle, I can't help but smile. This painted turtle is gorgeous and charismatic, and like all turtles, represents longevity and resilience. What these animals do in their lifetime is remarkable--avoiding predators, navigating a greatly transformed landscape during annual breeding migrations, resisting disease and exposure to contaminants, and tolerating endless photo ops with mammals. My heart feels fuller with every turtle I meet and every person I get to bring out to experience the diverse wetlands of southern New Hampshire.
