Research during the COVID-19 pandemic (Our 2020 Year in Review)

It’s the last day of 2020, and we’re reflecting on everything that our lab accomplished this year. Research and partnership during a global pandemic came with some challenges, but we made it through with incredible teamwork. Oh, and #KindnessInScience went a long way too. Miigwetch to all our partners, staff, students, and community, this year would not have been possible without any of you.

Baa Maa Pii, and see you in the New Year.

—The Healthy Headwaters Lab

VIDEO CAPTIONS: 2020 Year in Review 

We started the year connecting with our partners and members of the community. But it wasn’t long [until COVID-19].  

As the world shut down, we navigated the first months of quarantine together.  

Having virtual tea, sharing stories, adjusting to ‘the new normal’, and learning to work from home.  

We launched our new website and attended a conference (virtually).  

We shared our values with the scientific community, spoke about the water that sustains us, and how traditional ecological knowledge guides our understanding of the world. 

When we were able to resume our research, we turned our canoe into a floating lab, and set off to survey freshwater mussels. 

But a river is not without its valley, so we looked to the land to understand how cultivation shapes the earth.  

In the fall, we welcomed our first undergraduate researchers and expanded our work to include carbon dynamics. 

Winter ended our field season, so we met one last time with our community and shared how partnerships were the foundation of everything we do. 

We finish the year with a pause for self-reflection and rest, overwhelmed with gratitude, and holding our loved ones close. 

2020 ⟶ 2021  

Miigwetch to our partners, staff, students, and community. This year would not have been possible without any of you.