We are a multi-talented workforce, a community that is driven by excellence, to bring creativity and innovation to everything we do. SPOKE continues its ‘Photo of the Month’ to celebrate the creativity and talent amongst our people.

Each month, we will showcase inspiring photography that has captured our imagination and tells a compelling visual story, taken by our colleagues from around the GFG network. From landscapes and intricate details to spontaneous moments of life, we want to celebrate moments of beauty and inspiration. So, if you believe you have what it takes, have a keen eye for detail and a passion for visual storytelling, we invite you to submit your best work for a chance to be featured in our ‘Photo of the Month’ section. Email us at spoke@gfgalliance.com

August’s Photo of the Month is by Petr Pelousek, R&D Technician, Energy, Modelling, Measurements at LIBERTY Ostrava.

The solitary oak – There is a saying, “The best camera is the one you have with you,” could not ring truer for Petr who took this stunning photograph of the solitary oak tree with his Samsung Galaxy S9 mobile phone. Driven by a love for the great outdoors, Petr captures the beauty of nature while he embarks on his long hiking adventures. The Photo of the Month provides inspiration for the Global Health Challenge that will launch in September 2023.

The great outdoors and a healthful lifestyle go hand in hand for Petr, every step brings him closer to new vistas, new challenges and discoveries. Every ascent, every step taken outdoors, is an affirmation to Petr’s commitment to health and well-being. It’s not just about capturing breathtaking landscapes, but about being one with nature.

The photo of the month captures this sentiment – the “Dubisko valašisko tvrdé” (hard Wallachian oak). This regal, pedunculate oak has been standing tall for over 500 years on the Strážnice hill above Kozlovice village, and is an embodiment of strength and endurance. With a tree trunk circumference of 400 centimetres, its age spans half a millennium. Despite enduring a devastating storm in 1957 that claimed part of its crown and a fire that scorched it from the inside in the 1980s, the oak stands strong.

It was a local historian Marie Prudká who eloquently said, “this tree is a ‘Dubisko valašisko tvrdé’ (hard Wallachian oak), and that is because the oak is still alive after so many traumas.”

This story of the oak’s survival has not gone unnoticed. Recognised for its significance, the oak was nominated for the “Tree of the Year” award in 2021, securing a second place. This recognition was awarded by the Ministry of the Environment.

I love going to this place. There is a beautiful view from here of the nearby Hukvaldy Castle, our village Kozlovice and the Ondřejník ridge rising beyond it.

Petr Pelousek

The Hukvaldy Castle is one of the largest castles in the Czech Republic built in the 13th century.

Petr’s love for the nature and the hills and mountains that call to him, are no more evident than in the striking photographs he takes of the landscapes and natural details all around him.