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“Sound is life for me.” The latest installment of the Earth.fm podcast, Wind Is the Original Radio, finds curator Melissa Pons in conversation with sound recordist and expedition leader George Vlad. You can listen to and read George's work elsewhere on the site - and you may already have heard recordings of his in high-profile projects such as Dune: Part Two and Mufasa: The Lion King, as well as various documentaries, TV series, podcasts, and audiobooks. The love of George's life, as a recordist and collector of sounds, is to be among wildlife sounds, trying to understand them, and getting to share them. Though he confesses to being initially fastidious about avoiding anthropophony, he explains that he has become more understanding and flexible, given how reductive it is to imagine that nature is separate from humans (and vice versa): “We are moving forward, whether we like it or not; progress happens: people need to travel and use power tools.” However, though he has become more open to recording people, he draws a line at combustion engines. He also shares about his journey from being a sound designer, when he originally saw field recordings as purely “tools or assets”, with no appreciation for the ecosystems they originated from. However, informed by his experience of growing up in the Romanian countryside - which taught him the value of loving nature and of living with it rather than trying to control it - he subsequently came to appreciate and take enjoyment from their beauty. Additional topics addressed during the episode include: The “heavy question” of decolonising sound recording and working ethically as a recordist outside of one's home culture. And, how working respectfully with locals can provide information that, as an outsider, he wouldn't otherwise be privy to - but also the importance of choosing what to share, considering the importance of certain areas to Indigenous peoples “Being careful, being mindful, trying not to create tension and problems; this is just being a human, being a nice person, having common sense - it's not just about sound recording.” Where some recordists cause damage, ignore local taboos, or go chasing after animals, George has learned to be more mindful, preferring to work with passive-recording drop-rigs, which are not only easier for him, but less disruptive for wildlife Fellow recordists who see going back to camp and having a cup of tea as ‘cheating' and consider suffering to add value to the work. While George has taken part in extreme expeditions (for example, in Sumatra and Gabon), “It was tough; I got a bunch of diseases, and it was painful, and I had to come back and spend two months taking antibiotics and trying to get better - but that didn't make the sound recordings better.” Alternatively, sometimes you're in air-conditioned lodges and being driven around (where it's unsafe to walk) - but that this is equally valid. Being attracted to the 'extremeness' of the experiences is ultimately only a way of making everything about yourself, and “that's just focusing on the wrong aspect; the soundscapes and the sound recordings are more valuable than the effort you put in, or the leeches that suck your blood” Things that George is afraid of in the field - which turns out to not be a lot, something he puts down to being brought up around cats, which can transmit Toxoplasma gondii to humans: a parasitic infection which reduces fear responses and increases risk-taking. However, he does fear losing his kit on a job Memorable field-recording experiences, including “sleeping on the edge of an active volcano in Ethiopia, without having taken any precautions” against the silica suspended in its gaseous emissions, which can cut up the lungs like broken glass… On the advise of a geologist who turned out not to have any experience of volcanoes How to incorporate study and research into a busy practice - not a problem when you “find it hard not to read”, and when research fuels excitement about new destinations. Also: recommendations of books for burgeoning recordists - not just ones on the subject of field recording itself, but useful adjacent ones, like learning to drive off-road, climb trees, or take up photography How to support conservation - not only in the form of international NGOs like WWF, but also tiny three-person initiatives where donations more appreciably go further (as long as you check that they're doing what they say they're doing!). Plus, training others in sound recording, who can potentially continue to record in their local environments when itinerant recordists have moved on What George would like to see in the future of sound recording - not just for sound recordists to be properly compensated, but for this work to become established as an valued art form in its own right, with more courses, teachers, and the corresponding improvement in people's ability to listen and pay attention to the world around them. Plus! The importance of making jam, playing video games, and reading Jules Verne. George would be delighted if you'd like to engage with his work, so feel free to follow him on his YouTube channel. “Sound is life for me.” The latest installment of the Earth.fm podcast, Wind Is the Original Radio, finds curator Melissa Pons in conversation with sound recordist and expedition leader George Vlad. You can listen to and read George's work elsewhere on the site - and you may already have heard recordings of his in high-profile projects such as Dune: Part Two and Mufasa: The Lion King, as well as various documentaries, TV series, podcasts, and audiobooks. The love of George's life, as a recordist and collector of sounds, is to be among wildlife sounds, trying to understand them, and getting to share them. Though he confesses to being initially fastidious about avoiding anthropophony, he explains that he has become more understanding and flexible, given how reductive it is to imagine that nature is separate from humans (and vice versa): “We are moving forward, whether we like it or not; progress happens: people need to travel and use power tools.” However, though he has become more open to recording people, he draws a line at combustion engines. He also shares about his journey from being a sound designer, when he originally saw field recordings as purely “tools or assets”, with no appreciation for the ecosystems they originated from. However, informed by his experience of growing up in the Romanian countryside - which taught him the value of loving nature and of living with it rather than trying to control it - he subsequently came to appreciate and take enjoyment from their beauty. Additional topics addressed during the episode include: The “heavy question” of decolonising sound recording and working ethically as a recordist outside of one's home culture. And, how working respectfully with locals can provide information that, as an outsider, he wouldn't otherwise be privy to - but also the importance of choosing what to share, considering the importance of certain areas to Indigenous peoples “Being careful, being mindful, trying not to create tension and problems; this is just being a human, being a nice person, having common sense - it's not just about sound recording.” Where some recordists cause damage, ignore local taboos, or go chasing after animals, George has learned to be more mindful, preferring to work with passive-recording drop-rigs, which are not only easier for him, but less disruptive for wildlife Fellow recordists who see going back to camp and having a cup of tea as ‘cheating' and consider suffering to add value to the work. While George has taken part in extreme expeditions (for example, in Sumatra and Gabon), “It was tough; I got a bunch of diseases, and it was painful, and I had to come back and spend two months taking antibiotics and trying to get better - but that didn't make the sound recordings better.” Alternatively, sometimes you're in air-conditioned lodges and being driven around (where it's unsafe to walk) - but that this is equally valid. Being attracted to the 'extremeness' of the experiences is ultimately only a way of making everything about yourself, and “that's just focusing on the wrong aspect; the soundscapes and the sound recordings are more valuable than the effort you put in, or the leeches that suck your blood” Things that George is afraid of in the field - which turns out to not be a lot, something he puts down to being brought up around cats, which can transmit Toxoplasma gondii to humans: a parasitic infection which reduces fear responses and increases risk-taking. However, he does fear losing his kit on a job Memorable field-recording experiences, including “sleeping on the edge of an active volcano in Ethiopia, without having taken any precautions” against the silica suspended in its gaseous emissions, which can cut up the lungs like broken glass… On the advise of a geologist who turned out not to have any experience of volcanoes How to incorporate study and research into a busy practice - not a problem when you “find it hard not to read”, and when research fuels excitement about new destinations. Also: recommendations of books for burgeoning recordists - not just ones on the subject of field recording itself, but useful adjacent ones, like learning to drive off-road, climb trees, or take up photography How to support conservation - not only in the form of international NGOs like WWF, but also tiny three-person initiatives where donations more appreciably go further (as long as you check that they're doing what they say they're doing!). Plus, training others in sound recording, who can potentially continue to record in their local environments when itinerant recordists have moved on  What George would like to see in the future of sound recording - not just for sound recordists to be properly compensated, but for this work to become established as an valued art form in its own right, with more courses, teachers, and the corresponding improvement in people's ability to listen and pay attention to the world around them. Plus! The importance of making jam, playing video games, and reading Jules Verne. George would be delighted if you'd like to engage with his work, so feel free to follow him on his YouTube channel.

“I prefer to live in the fantasy, not in the desperation of the crisis [...], you know?” This latest episode of Earth.fm's Wind Is the Original Radio podcast finds site curator Melissa Pons in conversation with Peruvian sound artist and ‘resilient designer' Nahun Saldaña. In his work, Nahun explores the intersections between soundscapes and sound ecology, especially in relation to climate change and speculative sound future. Together, they discuss: The possibility of using soundscapes to drive the awareness that we all depend on the natural world - and even of using them to make companies prioritise caring for the planet rather than solely the pursuit of profit. The ludicrousness of carbon credits (“Okay, you contaminate, but you pay for the compensation”), but the way that a similar model of mitigation could be applied to noisy manufacturers. The impact of individualism on people's awareness (or lack thereof) of the sounds that they make and how those sounds may impact neighbours or the broader community around them How, in urban spaces, silence has become a new kind of luxury - one denied to people living in lower-income areas A tendency, within the nature-sound-recording community, to fetishise tragedies in the natural world by recording “the sounds of extinction” or the last examples of particular species, despite this not curtailing those tragedies. Is there an argument for focusing, instead, on “stories of regeneration and flourishing”? Whether sound technology can be harmful, and, if so, is it “more important to teach the kids to listen”? Nahun describes an instructive visit to a small jungle town where younger generations no longer have the ability to recognise specific sounds, such as the sounds of honey-producing bees - meaning that resources are lost as older members of the community pass away. The power of deep listening and the notion of “politicians with a capacity for [...] deep listening”, and what groundbreaking policies might emerge from such a (sadly improbable) possibility. Nahun's one of many projects Escuchadores: a physical structure installed in sound conservation areas conceptualized exclusively to listen and stay in the moment. We hope that you enjoy this episode, including Nahun's irresistible exuberance and enthusiasm! You can follow him on Instagram, and check out the work - writing, photography, video, sound art, and ambient music - on his (Spanish-language) website.

For this March Equinox we have prepared a 60 minute Listening Party with soundscapes recorded in March from the North to the South Hemisphere. We're celebrating the season's transition and we want to invite you to reflect on how we can better accommodate our lives to our surrounding environment. Tracklist: 01:58 Midnight Forest Frogs - Andy Martin 09:01 Western Capercaillie Makes Vocalizations in Early Spring - Andrus Kannel 12:49 Early Spring Thunderstorm in Beech Forest - Ivo Vicic 25:57 Hippopotamoes Preparing for the Night - Sounding Wild 39:36 Dawn Chorus is Saroluk - Enis Çakar 44:00 RDC Nightwalk in Rainforest - Owl - Gina Lo 47:02 Early Autumn Bushland Dawn near the Coorong - Khristos Nizamis 52:56 Tiny Little River - Verónica Cerrotta 56:24 Between Tree Branches - Melissa Pons 57:22: Here in There - Melissa Pons You can listen to all of these soundscapes on our free mobile app at https://Earth.FM available for iOS and Android.

“I don't feel like nature is somehow healing me - I feel as if my body is remembering what it's supposed to be like.” Earth.fm's Wind Is the Original Radio podcast is pleased to share the second part of curator Melissa Pons' conversation with sound designer and field recordist Andy Martin. (You can find part one here.) Here, in another thought-provoking instalment, Andy shares his thoughts about deep listening, questioning (in part because of the varied ways in which it is defined) the difference from just… listening. In the field, Andy “describe[s] [him]self as a witness”, of anything from “the trickle of water to hummingbirds which are out to kill each other” - but he refutes the idea of there being any “inherent meaning in a soundscape; it just is; it just exists”. Where deep listening often aspires to finding meaning or making a connection - “an intentional beauty or a message within the soundscape” - he asserts his conviction that there are no such intentions, beyond those of individual wildlife. “I can listen in wonder and awe”, but “there's nothing there that is a meaningful, special interaction for me; it is just life existing. If we're looking for a deeper connection, a deep meaning within the soundscape [...] we're missing the reality of what's there, and we're trying to put our own feelings, our own belief systems onto that reality - and that's not my job. [...] My job is to listen and bring forth.” What Andy sees as people's misinterpretations of the natural world overriding the reality means that, “The moment I hear someone describe a dawn chorus as an outpouring of joy, they've lost me. Because that's what it sounds like to us - but that's not necessarily what it is.” Further topics discussed in this episode include: The idea that, by entering other beings' habitats, uninvited, recordists make themselves into “voyeur[s]”: “To imagine that I am not making a disruption when I go into that space [...] I think is very foolish” - one of the benefits of rolling out hundreds of metres of mic cables to listen while recording (another being the avoidance of self-noise: “I sniffle, I cough, I shuffle - I make a lot of noise”) The difference between American robins' dawn and dusk calls and whinnies The close evolutionary relationship between birds, dinosaurs, and crocodilians - plus, a hair-raising story of being alone in a Louisiana swamp, hearing alligators booming in the twilight and legging it for his car. (Really, who can blame him?) Hearing soundscapes in those fog-shrouded swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin change over course of a year and noting the different times at which different species of frogs and insects sing, and the different frequencies in which they do so: Bernie Krause's acoustic niche theory in action The potential selfishness of making nature recordings, and whether it's necessary to assign a 'higher cause' to justify making doing so in ways that may exoticize the environments in which they are made  Acknowledging the unlikeliness “that someone'll hear [his] recordings and dedicate themselves to some sort of ecological practice”... but also acknowledging the value of influencing people on a smaller scale - including himself. Though Andy states that he makes recordings for the enjoyment of hearing the more-than-human beings' comings and goings, he also notes that listening to them has changed his own behaviour to the extent of affecting how he brought up his daughter The privilege of being involved in the Giving Contest organised with George Vlad and Thomas Rex Beverly: a call for donations for environmental causes, with nature sound recording bundles as prizes The way that spaces like the Amazon rainforest, which we think of as untouched wilderness, were affected by Indigenous, pre-colonial farming and water management: places where humans have in fact influenced ecosystems for thousands of years. More modern examples include the American bullfrogs which are considered ubiquitous, but which were limited to the eastern half of North America before being bred as a cheap protein source during the Gold Rush, and ultimately released into the wild The possibility of humanity having positive impacts on the natural world - even if making that change may be a long time coming. We hope that you enjoy this episode. If you'd like to connect with Andy, you can do so on LinkedIn and Instagram and listen to various recordings and other interviews here.

In this episode of Earth.fm's Earth Is the Original Radio podcast - the first of a two-parter! - the site's curator, Melissa Pons has a wide-ranging conversation with sound designer and field recordist Andy Martin. The insightful and granular conversation explored the following topics: Andy's relationship with sound throughout his life and career, and what paths led to him dedicating himself to nature field recordings - taking in childhood illness, a love of the Star Wars score, involuntary mimicking of the sounds around him, and a desire for escape  Flirtations with piano, violin, and saxophone, which led to music school - where Andy experienced a shift from sound being something he played and listened to actively thinking about it as something with the power to affect the world via feelings and emotions Stumbling from film sound design into video games - different ways of using sound to tell a story  How being a stay-at-home father for three years allowed him to experiencing the world via his young daughter's curiosity, and how his desire to learn about the place of sound grew alongside his daughter Starting to record wildlife for computer games, but initially seeing these sounds as “assets” ‘Quietness' and ‘silence' and what people really mean when they search for places that offer these things. And what sites without industrial noise, inhabited by more-than-human life, have brought to Andy A nature field recordist's identity and its contradictions in a capitalistic system and in the context of ‘content creation'. How ADHD feels to Andy, and how his experience of the disorder affects his practice and his life - maybe chaotically, maybe beautifully Also: crows! Listen out for part two of the conversation, which will be released soon! Also, below are all of the references mentioned during this episode: Bernie Krause's acoustic niche hypothesis: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269278107_The_Niche_Hypothesis_A_virtual_symphony_of_animal_sounds_the_origins_of_musical_expression_and_the_health_of_habitats Bernie Krause's book, The Great Animal Orchestra: https://eshop.fondationcartier.com/en/products/bernie-krause-and-united-visual-artists-the-great-animal-orchestra  Martyn Stewart: https://www.thelisteningplanet.com/alifeinsoundpodcast  Gordon Hempton's One Square Inch of Silence: https://onesquareinch.org/  Andy's official website: https://soundeziner.com/  Andy's SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/soundeziner  And you can connect with Andy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymartinnaturesound/ and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andymartinnaturesound/.

A new turn around the sun and a new episode, this month's guest being Chris Treviño, a field recordist and sound designer from Michigan with a background in anthropology and currently pursuing a Masters in Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, focusing on ways of knowing his own town through its sound across its history.  We're talking about some aspects of sound as heritage and memory as well as its cultural value in which Chris conceptualizes the notion of sonic time capsule, how we humans relate to sound in different contexts and throughout time, and we also talk about his more recent project in the Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, where Chris spent almost two weeks recording while traversing the island by foot. Please find below all the references mentioned during our conversation: Video games composers: Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu (the Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy series) Steven Feld - Voices From the Rainforest; the Kaluli people UNESCO heritage designations: https://www.unesco.org/en/lists-designations The Greek practice of the memory palace: https://artofmemory.com/blog/how-to-build-a-memory-palace/ Antônio Bispo dos Santos: https://futuress.org/community/antonio/ The Tonebenders Podcast episode with Chris: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/277-field-recording-for-the-national-parks-service-with-chris-trevino/ Isle Royale NP: https://www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm Chris Treviño SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/chrisatrevino Listen to the full recording of ‘Old Man and Grandson Watch Trains': https://soundcloud.com/chrisatrevino/old-man-and-grandson-watch-trains Chris' official website: https://www.chrisatrevino.com/Connect with Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisatrevino and on X https://x.com/ChrisATrevino

Say hello to December with this month's episode, in which we welcome creative sound artist Jo Kennedy, co-director of Yorkshire Sound Women Network and co-producer of the Nature Tripping podcast!. Jo is a field recordist, sound designer, and audio producer who focuses on environmental and ecological projects. Together, we discuss Jo's path between environment and sound;, what listening - whether to anthropogenic sounds or predominantly natural ones - can potentially reveal; the power of novelty and curiosity in sound; rewilded soundscapes; graveyards; and more. It isn't necessary to experience pristine natural environments in order to fulfil our potential for connecting with other living beings, whatever they may be, and we might find small patches of land near us which are very special. In addition, Jo and Cathy's podcast, - Nature Tripping - https://www.jokennedysound.com/naturetripping -, is wholeheartedly recommended, as is the article mentioned in the episode: ‘"Initiating Ecological Change Through Sound Art – a Review and Short Manifesto" - https://www.jokennedysound.com/blog/initiating-ecological-change-through-sound-art. And see what the Yorkshire Sound Women Network is all about and how you can get involved - https://yorkshiresoundwomen.com/ Thank you, Jo, for the wonderful conversation!

Hello and welcome back to Artist Talks! We have been longing for this return and are so happy to kick-start this new phase with David de la Haye, an award-winning ecological sound artist focusing on underwater aquatic environments. An uncanny and down-to-earth fun conversation about listening to underwater sounds and the fascinating experience of recording them, creation of music with others from his field recordings and some necessary gear talk. David is a musician - a bassist, composer and technician - which informs his work and collaborative processes with other musicians. He shares about how this processes go for some of his latest projects and the value of gathering people to make music. Learn more about David and his work on his website, https://daviddelahaye.co.uk/,and consider supporting him on bandcamp: https://daviddelahaye.bandcamp.com/.

Recorded in the misty montane rainforest of Gunung Halimun National Park, this recording features subtle birdsong and the sounds of a distant mountain river. This location is one of the last truly wild places on the island of Java and home to a host of unique wildlife. Recorded by Marc Anderson at the Gunung Halimun National Park, Java, Indonesia

A place dominated and overseen by large feathered creatures, acrobatic corvids and smaller virtuosos. Nearer the ground, the arched-formations of rock provide a refuge to others, from doves with their splashing wing beat sounds to mammals like red foxes, whose sounds are amplified and travel like an upwards spiral. This amplification serves as a delicacy to my ears, bringing closer to my perception many tiny movements, many of which are hair-raising. Maybe it's merely the darkness operating its dominating power over us or perhaps it's this intriguing dance between near-silence and the appearance of nocturnal creatures - both animals and rocks, for the latter feel alive on their own. The easily heard species in this recording are the tawny owl (Strix aluco) and the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus). This is a specially quiet recording, so an equally quiet listening is recommended. Recorded by Melissa Pons in Spain.

The breeze bring some freshness in the evening during the hottest month of the year. This is the time when wildlife gets out of the hides to feed. Recorded by Sounding Wild in Outamba Kilimi NP, Sierra Leone

Taman Negara is a large area of protected rainforest on the heart of the Malaysian peninsula and home to an abundance of wildlife including tigers, leopards and elephants. This recording features the sounds of a myriad of insects calling from deep in the forest at night. Recorded by Marc Anderson in Taman Negara, Malasya

Spring in the Pacific Northwest is typically a damp rainy season. Snowmelt from the Cascade mountains and frequent cloud cover causes streams, and rivulets to pop up along mountainsides swelling the rivers in the valleys. This particular valley, like many in the western cascade range, has many small marshy areas surrounded by tall evergreen trees. By April the nights are filled with sounds of the Cascades Frog and a persistent white noise from nearby flowing water. Lengthening days, a dawn chorus starts early and quiets down as a rain shower approaches. This region of Washington is the ancestral lands of the Stillaguamish People. Recorded by Nick McMahan, Washington, USA

I have a tradition of recording for the week around Summer Solstice every year. The long days and extended twilights draw out the liveliest and most expressive Dawn Choruses of the season. This year I'm in Sinlahekin Valley in Washington State's Okanogan High Country. It's a deep, long scar on the ground gouged and left behind by retreating arms of the Cordilleran Ice Sheets of the last several glaciated ice ages. Arid steppes on one side, fir-covered mountains on the other, the Valley draws a line that separates two of the major ecological regions in our State. Running much of the length of the Valley is Sinlahekin Creek, a meandering, beaver-controlled system that sustains a narrow strip of wetlands and riparian borders favored by passing migratory birds. Deep enough to not sustain strong wind, the Valley is a valuable shelter, sometimes for passing birds to rest, sometimes to stay. One of those birds is the Yellow-breasted Chat, a laconic-yet-vociferous songbird with a voice both louder and deeper than belies its small size. One of the more enigmatic songbirds of North America, the Yellow-breasted Chat is widespread across the continent but rarely found in dense numbers. It skulks about in dense riparian thickets and other shrubby habitats, nesting deep within and singing from a barely-exposed perch. More often heard than seen in late Spring and early Summer, when males produce long soliloquies in search for a mate (or sometimes two), they have a brief but explosively creative burst of song every year, only to remain silent for the rest of it. Recorded on Summer Solstice, 2024, this particular singer was a surprise. I had been hiking around one of my favorite valley campgrounds, enjoying the recent explosion of late-Spring songbirds, when I noticed a thicket that was particularly favored by local Lazuli Buntings. Nice Bunting recordings being a goal of this trip, I quickly set up a lightweight hiking recorder with a pair of small mics to leave overnight in hopes that Buntings could have time to sing as they saw fit. Imagine my surprise when listening back to the recordings and found more than an hours' worth of a Yellow-breasted Chat singing close by, as if I'd set these microphones up just for him! Our Chat wakes up early in Nautical Twilight with a burst of whistles to rattle the neighborhood. After a brief rest, he begins his soliloquy of repeated grunts, rattles, beeps, and whistles. Soon, less than a minute later, the first distant songs of the next Chat over can be heard in the background. They space themselves out along the riparian border of Sinlahekin Creek just close enough to still be heard, far enough away to give each other space. While most birds sleep in and wait for more light, including Robins and Blackbirds, Nautical Twilight is their moment to sing. For most of the next two hours this little bird will sing from the same perch, only occasionally shifting directions as if he wants to be sure everyone has an equal chance to hear his voice. His voice grows louder and softer as he turns toward or away from the microphones. He's so close the early reflections off the leaves of the thicket scatter his voice back to us loud and clear even when he faces away. With almost mechanical precision he continues his steady chanting song. As other birds awaken with the slowly breaking mountain dawn, the air fills with songs loud and soft behind — but never interfering with — the Chat. Soon there are cawing Crows, Black-capped Chickadees sweetly calling, “Phoee-be”, and Lazuli Buntings working out their unique and recently “crystalized” songs. A Veery sounds like a mournful flute the next hedge over. A Ruffed Grouse beats its wings with an almost too-low-to-hear “flah-thump”. Yellow Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Common Yellowthroats, and Spotted Towhees circle the neighborhood, calling from one tree, singing from another, never satisfied, at least not until Sunrise when everyone will disperse to live out their day foraging for meals and nesting material. Filling out the soundscape are Cedar Waxwings, Olive-sided Flycatchers, Pied-billed Grebes, Pine Siskins, rowdy gangs of teenaged Red-winged Blackbirds, and more. After Sunrise the avian community slowly disperses. The Dawn Chorus is no more, replaced in whole by daily activities. Song continues as part of that organizing behavior, but the Dawn pronouncements are over after nearly 2 hours of upwelling joy. Our chat slowly moves farther and farther from his perch, allowing daring Buntings and Towhees the chance to take over the job of songmeister. If we were to keep listening throughout the day, we'd hear the Yellow Chat come and go, ensuring his perch and his home remain his and his alone. At night he will reverse the process, singing from Sunset to Astronomical Twilight, no so much fading away but just stopping when it's time to fall asleep, to gain back some of that spent energy to do it all again tomorrow. Recorded by Andy Martin in Okanogan High Country, USA

Recorded in the Spring of 2022, this soundscape has all the indicators of a warm day: pollinators, a variety of crickets, occasional frogs and a rich multi-layered display of bird song. It's one of the quietest places I know, allowing an equally quiet observer to listen to all the layers and make up a sonorous composition of this place weaving it in one's imagination. These are the most prevalent bird species one can hear in this recording: Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix), Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupidae), Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra), Little Owl (Athene noctua). The Montado is an unique system, existing only in the Iberian Peninsula although slightly different from the Dehesa, in Spain. As far as we know, human intervention has started during the neolithic period, favouring certain trees for their high yielding fruits that feed the animals, and others for their cork. Despite such intricate connection and millennial relationship, the Montado is in decline; this system is incredibly fragile and faces a number of grave threats today, from diseases that affect trees and wild rabbits to overgrazing, to privatization of enormous areas of land for mono-crop exploitation, leaving the soil impoverished and triggering the increase of chemical use, which will then infiltrate underground. Thus it is imperative and urgent to take care of this emblematic land.

You can hear the tide slowly approaching in the distance, with activity from all sort of birds in this patch of green in one of the busiest islands of the Bijagos Archipelago. Recorded by Sounding Wild in the Bijagos Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau

Afternoon ambience from bushland in the New England tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. A light breeze blows through the canopy of the eucalyptus woodland and in the background, birdsong drifts on the cool mountain air. Recording by Marc Anderson at the Mummel Gulf National Park, NSW, Australia

High and dry. There is hardly anything here. No water, no trees, just a small two-track (dirt road where people have driven enough times to form a road, but the ground has never been graded), and a distant horizon. The terrain appears endlessly flat, but after some time walking, I cannot see my car anymore. No towns, people, highways, or aircraft. A strange silence seems to be suspended in the still air. I sit down in the sagebrush and the wind calms. Looking closer I see various small wildflowers growing in clumps, thoughtfully placed near roots and sage. I lay down. It doesn't feel dirty here. The dusty soil is cool, almost soothing. Eyes close, it is not long before a whir of wings pass not far overhead. Quickly followed by another and a hushed chirp. Something imperceptible has shifted. There is another soft chirp. Another whir, over to the left. Then a trill. Gradually building, a mesmerizing chorus of Brewer's sparrows and a steady drumbeat of a common poorwill in the distance weave the song of this quiet sage land. These sounds were recorded on the ancestral land of the Northern Paiute people. Exceptionally low-noise microphones in various arrays capture the delicate sounds of the environment. If you would like to know more please get in touch. Recorded in the Basque Hills, Oregon, USA by Nick McMahan

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This segment of a dusk chorus in the summer-arid region of Vale do Côa, Portugal, is somewhat a reverse story from the dawn chorus recorded in the same period, although fading out much quicker into a windy night, when low whispering bursts take the place of the singing birds. In addition to the most audible and easily identifiable species, we can also hear the cuckoo here and there. Other species listed: Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus), Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio), Common BlackBird (Turdus Merula), Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus), Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Recorded by Melissa Pons, in Portugal

Dawn chorus from a rare pinsapo (Spanish fir) forest in the mountains of Andalucia. Starting softly at first light, the song of a Eurasian Robin is the first to herald the new day. As the day brightens the songs of many other species fill the air. In the background the soft tinkling of bells can be heard from goats on a distant hillside. Recorded by Marc Anderson at Parque Nacional Sierra de las Nieves, Spain

Recoding by Seán Ronayne, in Zarnesti, Romania

A coveted silence drenches the deep valley. Winter at it's finest. With closed eyes, I discern the distant white noise of a creek flowing beneath the snow. Alongside one of the small lakes, a coyote crosses the ice on the opposite shore, noticing my presence as well. As early dusk descends, a small flock of Canadian geese flies overhead, their honking resonating against the steep valley walls—a common sight during this season. The geese are nearing a lake that has a unique nearly musical echo emanating from it. The chatter of trumpeter swans who have made this pond home for the winter. Evening light fades and the swans move to various nearby water sources that have not frozen, greeting each other with loud echoing calls. Moments of silence are equally piercing in this winter valley. Recorded by Nick McMahan in the Washington River

A classic quiet Savannah dawn chorus from this part of the world. Recording by Sounding Wild at the Outamba-Kilimi National Park, Sierra Leone

Growing up in the mid-Atlantic states of the US and with roots and time lived in the Deep South, few sounds bring me to a state of transcendence like the orchestrated song of insects at night. The spectrally tight but densely-layered score of hundreds or thousands of insects pulsing, ratcheting, trilling, buzzing, and singing in concert is soothing my the ears and the best sleep-aid I can experience for myself. There's so much life in a chorus, and it's not only insects. Frogs occasionally beep. Bats flutter by. The occasional leaf drops from the canopy. This is my happy place. Recorded on the last night of a stay in a private lodge on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, near Parque Nacional Corcovado. Recording by Andy Martin at the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Recently we visited a beautiful paradise in the Eastern Arc Forests of Tanzania—the Amani Nature Forest Reserve. This reserve protects the unique, biologically important sub-montane forest ecosystem of Tanzania's East Usambara Mountains. Home to unique and endemic biodiversity, the reserve contains stunning flora, fauna, and trails to explore.   Our guide suggested visiting the lesser-traveled Kiganga trail. True to his word, as soon as we left the small town adjacent to the forest, we were greeted by the quiet tranquility of the forest. The only sounds were the distant sound of Zigi River flowing through the forest and the high-pitched calls of cicadas in the canopy above. We stopped to listen for a while before choosing a tree to set up the recorder. At dusk, the loud cicadas gave way to the more nocturnal animals—crickets, bats, and hyraxes. The hyrax's call occasionally rose above the crickets, echoing through the forest all night!  Field recording by Martha Mutiso in Tanzania

A breezy afternoon in the lowland rainforest of Sabah, Borneo. Although the birdsong is more sparse than earlier in the day, many birds are active and can be heard calling and moving about in the the surrounding forest. Recorded by Marc Anderson

An excerpt made from a long form stereo reef recording made at full moon in June 2018 above the reef at LINI, North Bali. LINI is an NGO dedicated to community development through sustainable fisheries in north Bali, Indonesia. Their work includes aquaculture to mitigate illegal fishing for the aquarium trade, reef restoration and capacity building in local communities to nurture sustainable livelihood. This recording was made with a pair of aquarians into a Zoom H4N, secured in a waterproof barrel on a raft tied to a buoy above the most mature reef restoration area. Amongst the sound of the shrimp, you can hear various fish chatting, grunting and farting – message me if you know who the mermaid is. Recording by Alice Eldridge

Recorded in Sierra Leone by Sounding Wild

What does Nature sing on a place that has seen blood spilled in behalf of kingdoms' territory dispute, species extinction and the abandonment of land? During the whole time I spent in this region, that was on my mind. It was psychologically difficult and the rocky and dry shrubs didn't offer much solace. I think about the attempts of land domination and how a harmonious and reciprocal relationship could reflect on the landscape. This recording invites us to listen with an open mind. The main species on this recording are: Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus), Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio), Common Blackbird (Turdus Merula), Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus), Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Recorded by Melissa Pons in Portugal

Hello friends! This episode is a very special edition - a replay of our Deep Listening Party on Earth day in YouTube. This version is a 2 hour edit and you can follow the timestamps below. To listen to the recordings in their full length visit our page at https://earth.fm A big heartfelt thank you to all who sent their messages, named their favourite recordings and to all that contribute with their wonderful sounds. 00:00:00:00Vince Chanter - Ravens at Dusk00:01:29:16Cata's welcome message00:04:19:17Khristos Nizamis - Stirrings at First Light00:07:18:02Mel's welcome message00:07:57:14Melissa Pons - Andalusian Dawn (unpublished)00:10:53:04George Vlad - Winter Wind in Snowy Forest00:11:12:07Brother Spirit's message00:18:37:29Vladimir Archipov - Dreams of Bears00:23:04:14Seán Ronayne - Deluge at Dawn00:31:44:29Seán's message00:32:41:21Verónica Cerrotta - Florestas00:38:11:11Melissa Pons - Nocturnal Lullaby00:38:17:03Jocelyn Lauzon - Barred Owl00:39:19:23Vladimir Bocharov - Early Morning near the Village of Lnikha00:41:54:15Hannu Jännes - Capercaillie Lekking00:43:28:15George Vlad - Borneo Rainforest Afternoon Soundscape in the Jungle00:46:08:00Giselle Rooganoon - Aerial Ballett00:47:54:00Kjetil Hoidal - Osstrupen Underwater Soundscape00:51:50:00David de la Haye, Jez Lowe - Hidden Sounds (Binaural)00:53:33:15Jacob Bentz - Supersition Dawn00:53:42:16Jacob Bentz's message00:56:23:24Nick McMahan - Niobrara River00:57:44:12Nick McMahan's Message00:58:49:06Jan Brelih - Thunderstorm in the Himalayas01:00:34:00Christine Hass - Sonoran Desert Sunrise01:03:16:04Melissa Pons - Iberian Wolves01:04:34:01Mel Wolves01:07:17:27Félix Blume - Active Volcano01:10:41:05Gene Flipse - Humpback Virtuoso01:17:36:15Laila Fan - frogs at Menghuan01:17:43:23Veronica Cerrotta's message01:20:20:00Mélia Roger -Bubbles in a Pond01:23:41:26Ivo Vicic - Evening Calm Life of Birds in Spring01:24:33:04Rachel Butt's message01:30:36:08Martha Mutiso - Evening Chorus Amani Forest Reserve01:35:36:00Sam Lee01:45:33:15Mustard Lake - Dawn Chorus at Thol Sanctuary01:48:26:17Mat Eric Hart's message01:48:37:02Mat Eric Hart - Saikan Temple Rainfall01:53:56:00Isaac Amoasi Arkoh - Evening in Ankasa Jungle

This recording was made at night, in a valley. About 400 meters away from the recorder there is a big Fig Tree. It is a very, very big tree and every time its big heavy leaves fall, you can feel the sound they make when they touch the ground. The sounds of nocturnal insects create a homogeneous texture that highlights the stillness of the night. Silently a horse appears grazing. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by Verónica Cerrotta

This was recorded on a cloudy evening during an incoming tide on Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, part of Redwood National and State Parks, which together are designated as a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. The beach is broad with low dunes covered in tall grass, and backed by high bluffs and lush, temperate rainforest. A gentle breeze was blowing offshore from the dense forest atop the bluffs, across the grassy dunes, and out over the crashing waves. The steady roar of big surf breaking far out was accompanied by the crash of waves breaking on the shore, which ran up the beach and washed back down. I placed the microphone atop a grassy dune at the edge of the shore, beyond the reach of the rising tide. Recorded by Kelly Rafuse, in California, USA

The sounds of a pine forest in spring in Dalarna county, Sweden. A variety of bird species sing including Common Chaffinch, Tree Pipit, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Common Wood Pigeon. Recorded by Marc Anderson, in Kullen, Sweden

In the first weeks of 2024, finally, a real winter has arrived with beautiful snowfall and temperatures of -19°C. A day before that, I packed my gear and went to the location deep in the forests of Kočevski Rog, away from any settlements where I camped overnight. The night was dark and cold but I knew that the next morning, I would be rewarded with the first proper snowfall of the season. Capturing the sound of snowflakes is a very peculiar process one which requires some creative approach and experimenting techniques. Besides physically enduring the severe cold, positioning all the gear while trying to still stay focused on capturing the sound itself. Another thing to consider is that snow, unlike rain, is considerably less dense therefore even a gentle breeze spreads it all over, even beneath a protected enclosure or natural shelter. I placed my recording setup beneath the large pine tree, taking advantage of its large branches for some protection. To shield my setup from any snowflakes, that still found their way, I have snugly wrapped the tripod and other parts with a cozy woolen blanket. The blanket has gently protected all metallic parts from flakes landing on them and creating unwanted artificial clicks. It also provided some warmth to my beloved mics, staying in such harsh cold conditions. Recorded by Jan Brelih in Kočevski Rog, Slovenia

This was recorded on a spring day in the forest near White Deer Lake, a seasonal lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The lake is large and shallow when full, but only lasts a couple months in spring before drying up entirely. It's surrounded by coniferous forest of Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, and White Fir. At the time I made this recording there were only a few small pools of water left. I arrived late in the morning and the sky was blue and sunny above, but clouds were beginning to build all around. I set up the microphone in the forest not far from the lake under a dense bunch of young White Fir trees which provided shelter from rain and wind when the storms eventually passed overhead. The clouds continued to build until the first rumbles of thunder were heard in the distance. The chirping calls of Mountain Chickadees and Dark-eyed Juncos are heard along with other birds, and frogs can be heard in the distance in the remaining pools of the fast drying lake. As the storms moved closer, gentle rain began to fall and a light breeze blew through the trees above. The thunder became increasingly loud and powerful until it passed directly overhead. Recording by Kelly Rafuse

Early in the morning I walk along a remote lake in Ecuador's lower Amazon basin. Far from a city, road, or town, the sounds here are all natural. Thick foliage covers the ground and sky. Everywhere is muddy. Leaves dripping from a recent rain. Dawn approaches and the barking croak of giant frogs gradually becomes less frequent. Mysterious birds calling nearby. The jungle here is one of the most unique and pristine environments I have witnessed. Evoking a sense of magic for me anytime I listen. Recording by Nick McMahan

To record a soundscape characteristic of this region – and attempt to encapsulate my observational thoughts and views as a soundscape recordist – I arrived at a preserved section of the forest. The Pambar Shola plantation acts as a nursery for shola trees, which grow in the shade of taller pines and eucalyptus. A visual change was provided by a few rhododendrons – a Himalayan species believed to have spread over 1,200 miles (2,000 km) during periods when the temperature and ecology of the Western Ghats and the Himalayas were similar, due to seed dispersal by birds. I stationed my equipment beside a small stream, the sound of which, to me, symbolized the larger ecological processes taking place over centuries in the Western Ghats, to create a soundscape which could become a starting point for discussing Vattakanal, as per the hypothesis I am trying to explore through this project. At a personal level, I will remember this flowing water as the sound of sunrise in a tropical forest in the Western Ghats, layered with the sounds of birds, the occasional howling of Nilgiri langurs, and the distant barks of dogs which had followed me along the trail. This excerpt is from the article Soundscapes of Lesser Nature, by Mustard Lake, a grantee of our field recording grant program.

Eight episodes went by so fast! Symbolically, this episode with Axel was the first one to be recorded. Since our conversation, Axel travelled south into the west coast of Africa and is currently in Sierra Leone, to record and tell the stories of migratory birds in the East Atlantic Flyway. So, this will be a special one! We talk about the dynamics of this impressive journey, how technology led Axel to nature and out of the studio, his crazy blindfolded experiment in the streets of London, our general will to encounter "exotic" animals and how that can deafen us to the wonders right outside our window. Learn about Axel and Ario's project on the Sounding Wild page and connect with them on Instagram and Twitter. You can listen to some of their recordings on earth.fm. Episode's references: Virtual Barbershop (listen with headphones) Book Becoming Wild: How Animals Learn Who They Are, by Carl Safina Field recording work: Songs of the Humpback Whale: Dr. Roger Payne If you have been enjoying this season of Artist Talks reach out to us, maybe leave a comment where you listen to the podcast. Until next time!

A calm nocturnal ambience recorded in the rainy season in a tropical rainforest in western Thailand. At this time of year, the frogs are very active and can be heard chorusing throughout this recording, along with the sounds of insects, and rain gently dripping from the canopy above. Recorded by Marc Anderson in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand

Hello and welcome to our 7th episode of this special series - only one left for thus season to close! Today we have a super informative and fun conversation with Rüdiger Ortiz-Álvarez, a biologist and film-maker with a PhD in Ecology. In 2019 he became an National Geographic Explorer and made the incredible documentary Ecotone, which we'll be talking about in this interview. We discuss human disconnection with nature, ancient ecosystems, animal and human languages and how they possibly intersect in a given geography. We'll also get to know the story of how Rüdiger fell in love with sound which shifted his life. You can connect with Rüdiger on his Twitter and Instagram, as well as finding more about his grant with National Geographic here. Don't forget to check his recordings in our website on his artist profile. Field recording work: Songs of the Humpback Whale: Dr. Roger Payne Books mentioned: The Great Animal Orchestra: Bernie Krause Musical artists mentioned: Stura with the album Llangres and Gregorio Paniagua with Batiscafo

Recording by Martha Mutiso

Hello and welcome to our 6th episode of this special series. Today we have a wonderful conversation with award winning sound artist Félix Blume, who has a variety of works in many distinct regions of the world, marked mainly through his collaborative process. We talk about forms of listening, sound authorship, the power of sound to inquire and understand and working with children. You can find the rich work of Félix in his website: https://felixblume.com/ and in his vimeo: https://vimeo.com/felixblume Books mentioned: The Falling Sky - Davi Kopenawa Yanomami with Bruce Albert R. Murray Schafer - The Tuning of the World Juliette Volcler - L'orchestration du quotidien - Design sonore et écoute au 21e siècle Artists mentioned: Chris Watson, Gordon Hempton, Bernie Krause

This soundscape was recorded in an indigenous reserve called Wacoyo, in Meta (Colombia), after the sunset. You can hear insects from all over the valley. The reserve has an extension of 8050 hectares, and it is inhabited by 31 communities of approximately 340 families. The climate is dry tropical, and its biome consists of an alluvial savannah. Recorded by Nícolas Gutierrez García in Resguardos Indígenas de Wacoyo, Meta, Colombia

A new month of episodes starts with Christine Hass, a field biologist with a background on social behaviour of mammals. She has extensive recordings and stories from her journeys in the American West. You'll be drawn by Chris' attentive ear to environmental subtleties and connection to place with all her (truly) wild adventures outdoors. We also talk about the various impacts of forest fire and how to listen and record water. Please check Chris blog containing not only journal entries from her trips as well as equipment and techniques advice. Episode's references: Field Recordist Lang Elliott Book What the Robin Knows, by Jon Young

Recording in the Masaai Mara by Martha Mutiso

Hello! This is already our fourth episode of the series Artist Talks. Our guest today is Seán Ronayne, an ornithologist and zoologist with a mission to record all the bird species in Ireland and to inspire change through his work and the fascination he nurtures by animal behaviour and outdoors. One very fascinating topic Seán shares about is how we can listen to the birds' stories if we pay attention to their mimicry. So prepare yourself as we're going to listen to some incredible bird vocalisations on this episode. As always, we also talk about being in nature and wander in nature at night... alone but holding a parabola. Seán's website Irish Wildlife Sounds Seán's SoundCloud and Twitter Listen to Seán's recordings on earth.fm Watch ‘My mission is to record all of the bird species in Ireland', a piece for the Irish Times, by Kathleen Harris. References talked about in this episode: The Great Animal Orchestra: Bernie Krause Jay mimicry of a cat on Xeno-Canto: XC585280; recording by Adrianna Muszyńska

Recorded in January 2017 in Minas Gerais by Melissa Pons

Welcome to our third episode of this series where we have conversations with the best nature listeners in the world. In this episode, our guest Darcy Spidle, also working under the name chik white, talks with Melissa about his connection to the landscape where he lives in Nova Scotia, dreams and his unique way of approaching field recording, parallel in a way to his musical explorations and performances as well as their specific differences. This is very much a conversation on creativity and the inner and outer worlds. Darcy is a jaw harpist, screenwriter, actor and - of course - a field recordist. His works, which you can listen on his bandcamp page, are distinguishable intense with a strong aesthetic sense. As a staple in this series, we talk about being in nature, deep listening and being alone in the dark outside. Find out more about Darcy on his website. Episode's references: Darcy's essay Trauma of My Mouth Chris Watson: Stepping into the Dark Roger Payne: Songs of the Humpback Whale Lawrence English: Field Recordings from the Zone Hildegard Westerkamp - Kits Beach

Recorded in Croatia by Ivo Vicic

Welcome to our second episode of this series where we have conversations with the best nature listeners in the world. In this episode, Chris Hails talks about his multi-faceted career as an ecologist and zoologist in Malaysia, an environmental advisor in Singapore and Conservationist in Switzerland. Nature field recording has been a practice for Chris since tape recorder days. He has a PhD in bird ecology, and his professional activities have led him to research, teach and advise, with the efforts of saving the environment. We discuss why there is so much disconnection between people and Nature, ways to bridge this gap and be conscious about our own consumer patterns and the connection to politics. As a staple in this series, we talk about being in nature, deep listening and being alone in the dark outside. Find out more about Chris on his website. Episode's references: Chris' book Birds of Singapore Tools for species ID: Cornell University Bird NET Merlin App Xeno-Canto Chris' Website Wild Echoes The Sound Approach Literature and films mentioned: The Singing Life of Birds. The Art and Science of Listening to Birds by Donald Kroodsma Memoirs of a Birdman by Ludwig Koch Wild Soundscapes: Discovering the Voice of the Natural World and The Great Animal Orchestra: Finding the Origins of Music in the World's Wild Places by Bernie Krause The Singing Planet, by Liz McKenzie