Experiencing Nature through Acoustic Ecology

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Some of the scenery at the Mad River Hatchery, where my introduction to acoustic ecology took place.

I have a slightly unusual post to share today. In April, I attended an acoustic ecology workshop. It had nothing to do with big cats, but it was enlightening nonetheless. As such, I have decided to write about it.

Acoustic ecology is all about sound. More specifically, it is about how the noises in an environment influence the behavior of the animals in it. The purpose of the workshop was to learn how to collect data for this fascinating science.

The workshop attendees and I met outside the Wildlife Building at Humboldt State University (HSU). There were two other people there besides myself: Erin and Alex. They were both students at HSU, and Erin was leading the workshop. She was using acoustic ecology for her senior project, which focuses on the calls of white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys). This species sometimes utilizes higher-pitched vocalizations in urban areas, and Erin was trying to find out why. She was doing this by recording both the sparrows’ songs and the decibel levels of background noise, in order to see if the two factors correlate. The workshop gave Erin a chance to teach Alex and I about her methods.

White-Crowned Sparrow by USFWS Midwest. CC BY 2.0

Following brief introductions, the three of us drove to the Mad River Hatchery in the town of Blue Lake. Upon arrival, I felt as if we were in an ancient landscape. Low, tree-covered mountains bordered us on two sides. The weather at this point was cool and cloudy, adding to the mysterious feel. Erin took a few minutes to explain the equipment she uses, and we were off.

Soon after we started our hike, we came across a group of white-crowned sparrows. Alex recorded their calls, and we set off again. But almost instantly we located a golden-crowned sparrow. This time it was my turn to record. Erin had to show me how to set the device to “record,” but after that it was a simple matter of holding the microphone in the direction of the sparrow. Once I had completed my crash course in microphone operation, we continued on our way.

As we followed the hatchery’s well-kept trails, we allowed ourselves to become distracted by nature. There was a bit of excitement when Erin spotted what may have been an alligator lizard. Alex is quite interested in reptiles, and tried to get a better look at it – but it escaped into the underbrush. We also encountered a set of tracks that were likely left by a skunk, and a large puddle full of tadpoles.

While my time at Humboldt State had led to some great experiences, I was ready to get on with my life. Here are some skunk tracks I saw during an Acoustic Ecology workshop.
A group of tadpoles in a large puddle.

Eventually we approached the banks of the Mad River. The open plain we were on appeared to have been underwater recently, as evidenced by the smooth stones and piles of driftwood we had to climb over. Here Erin heard a kingfisher, and we spent several minutes recording its call. The gentle sound of the river was incredibly relaxing, but soon we returned to our hike.

By this time I was noticing that acoustic ecology was encouraging me to experience the forest in a new way. Normally when I hike I become lost in my head, experiencing reality through the obscured lens of abstract thought. But this workshop was forcing me to focus on the sense of sound. This became apparent when we entered a grove in which many birds were singing. We recorded them, and as we did so the sounds of the forest became more clear to me. The birds’ songs seemed more beautiful than ever, and time felt like it had slowed down. But it had not, and so we resumed our walk.

Alex and I posing for the camera, holding some of the recording equipment we used. Photo © Erin Phillips.

We soon came to a spot where a hedgerow on our right separated us from an agricultural field. A white-crowned sparrow announced his presence with a song, which became our last recording. We moved on, repeatedly checking under logs for reptiles, and eventually re-entered the conifer forest. All that was left to do now was head home.

Although this workshop was only a brief foray into the world of acoustic ecology, for me it was a valuable exercise. As one of my companions noted, how we experience the world is partly determined by what we are looking for. Focusing on sound took me out of my usual way of relating to the world, and helped me rediscover the richness of nature’s soundscape.

Published by Josh Gross

Wildlife, social science, conservation, and scicomm.

21 Thoughts

  2. Que buena experiencia :D La verdad es como vos decís Josh, es algo completamente nuevo.
    Yo sentí lo mismo cuando hace un par de meses fui a muestrear aves. Al principio me pareció super difícil, no podés casi hablar y tenés que reconocerlos muy rápidamente, porque no sabés si van a volver a cantar o no. Cuando le agarrás la mano es una cosa genial :)
    Me alegra mucho que lo hayas disfrutado!
    Un beso grandee :)

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      1. Jajaja noo, no es para nada fácil! Sin contar que yo soy más de los mamíferos. De hecho, me costó un montón y aprendí un poco porque fuimos con una ornitóloga. Pero necesitas mucha cancha para esas cosas, nada que no pueda aprenderse yendo muchas veces seguidas :)

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  3. Muy interesante esto de la ecología acústica! Sabes de algún autor/estudio que se centre en especies marinas? Es decir, cómo el ruido de nuestros barcos y embarcaciones afecta a las especies marinas y su comportamiento?
    Un abrazo!

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      1. Muchas gracias Josh! Ya tengo lectura para el fin de semana :D
        Vivo en un pueblo de la costa, que tradicionalmente vivió de la pesca. La gente mayor siempre dice que hay mucho menos pescado desde que los barcos tienen motores.
        Gracias a ti, ya tenemos nuevo tema de conversación en el bar :D

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          1. Muchas gracias, Josh! Sí, es una lectura muy interesante. No es dificil entender que además de a las ballenas, afectamos a otras especies marinas :)

            Liked by 1 person

  8. I am starting to read from very old posts of yours, things that I had missed in the last couple of months!
    And studying the different effects and consequences of sound in the forests……wow! Its truly amazing how this workshop chose this topic, there’s truly so much to know!
    And as always, a complete pleasure to read your writing ☺☺

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