2 listening events – Sun 5 May & Wed 5 June 2024
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ecoartspace Australian Dialogues event:
Place-based interventions in three time zones for United Nations, World Environment Day, 5 June, 2024
World Environment Day 2024 – Wed 5 June
Thanks to all who took some time to tune into sounds of nature at the Dungog Listening Station. It was my listening action for Ecoartspace’s Australian Dialogues event ‘Place-based interventions in three time zones’ – one of 17 events across the country.
11, + Leon the dog, stopped by the Listening Station for an extended period of time – listening to and watching multiple audio and video works created in local forests. It led to many conversations about sound, nature, equipment, consequences of human interactions and how aware we are of human noise pollution. Particularly of interest were the two different passive acoustic recording devices – how they worked and what could be done with the recordings.
Another 20+ were passing by and were curious about the sounds being played through a speaker and the equipment on display. Recognition of bird calls was often a drawcard – particularly the organ melody of Pied Butcher Bird song. An interstate visitor was intrigued by the differences of forest sound and bird song and played me recordings she had made from her forest walks.
Some participants came via the invitation through the Science & Ideas Hub, others by happenstance.
Dungog is a small rural town that hovers around a central main street with the CWA (Country Women’s Association) building in a central location so attracts passers by. The Listening Station was set up on the footpath outside the CWA with a laptop, headphones, speaker and a display of a range of sound equipment used in field recording and acoustic monitoring.
Thanks to all who joined us! & thank you Brian Doherty for the support and event documentation.
@ecoartspace #easAUSDialogue #WorldEnvironmentDay2024
• Click on the map below to go to ecoartspace‘s list of events at various locations around Australia.
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Tabbil Forest to the world –
Reveil: World Dawn Chorus Day, Sun 5 May
International collaborative sound and radio event
– Tabbil Forest Dawn Chorus – live audio stream as part of the UK based SOUNDCAMP‘s ‘Reveil 2024 Streams’
In May, Tabbil Forest’s Dawn Chorus was sent live to the world. Jane Richens broadcast a live audio as part of World Dawn Chorus Day. It was our local contribution to a UK-based international collaborative sound and radio project called ‘Reveil’ that circles the Earth on live audio streams at daybreak over a 24+1 hour period. During that time you could select locations on a world map when dawn was breaking in that location or listen to a radio station continuous broadcast with commentary about where and what you were listening to.
There were several locations in Australia. At Tabbil Creek we heard birdsong and frog calls with drips of rain. On Qld’s Sunshine Coast there were water sounds in the mangroves. In Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges incredible lyrebirds were heard echoing through the tall eucalypt forest.
It was fascinating listening to the diversity of the audio around the world. Overall birdsong was the connecting sound that marks the start of the new day and transcends borders. Not all the locations were forests or woodlands there were also a range of city soundscapes. One of the sites in the USA had the droning hum of generators in a big stadium. In the Philippines there was a site with lots of sounds of roosters above rural activity. In Delhi a cacophony of traffic. Each location certainly had a sound signature. Scientists can use sound recordings to understand biodiversity and other environmental changes over time.
Back at Tabbil Forest, a green foam mat, straw hat and towels became essential equipment to shield the rain from the recording gear and reduce the sound of rain on the equipment. Leech wrangling was also essential to the skillset!
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Reveil is a collaborative sound and radio project that circles the Earth on live audio streams at daybreak. The 11th edition of the Reveil broadcast took place on Dawn Chorus Day, over the first weekend in May. The 10th broadcast featured 145 streams from a wide range of environments and situations. We invite you to join us for the next 24+1 hour loop.
– Tabbil Forest had a 30 min live audio stream as part of the UK based SOUNDCAMP‘s ‘Reveil 2024 Streams’
(London times: 5am (UTC+1) Sat 4 May to 6am (UTC+1) Sun 5 May 2024)
(Sydney/Dungog times: 2pm (AEST) Sat 4 May to 3pm (AEST) Sun 5 May 2024)
The Reveil project uses Locus Sonos‘ Locustream Soundmap – live worldwide open microphones – where you can click on an active microphone anywhere in the world to hear what is happening from that location. Tabbil Forest’s microphone is only on occasionally.
• To celebrate World Dawn Chorus Day here is a preview of one of Jane’s sound & video works:
Forest Conversations: Sunrise Pink 2.35
