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Listen on World Listening Day
By Melissa Martin, PhD
Shhh…do you hear that? Close your mouth and eyes. Open your ears and
pay attention. It’s the sound of World Listening Day approaching; an
annual global event held every July 18. www.worldlisteningproject.org.
The 2019 theme is “Listening With” created by internationally acclaimed
sound artist Annea Lockwood. “Listening with an awareness that all
around you are other life-forms simultaneously listening and sensing
with you – plant roots, owls, cicadas, voles – mutually intertwined
within the web of vibrations which animate and surround our planet.”
The World Listening Project (WLP) is a not-for-profit organization
devoted to understanding the world and its natural environment,
societies and cultures through the practices of listening and field
recording. The WLP was founded in 2008 and is supported by the Midwest
Society for Acoustic Ecology, a non-profit membership organization
affiliated with the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology.
The World Forum for Acoustic Ecology (WFAE), founded in 1993, is an
international association of affiliated organizations and individuals,
who share a common concern with the state of the world’s soundscapes.
Its members represent a multi-disciplinary spectrum of individuals
engaged in the study of the social, cultural and ecological aspects of
the sonic environment. www.wfae.net. The International Conference on
Acoustic Ecology will be held in October 2019.
The American Society for Acoustic Ecology (ASAE) is a membership
organization dedicated to promoting a holistic understanding of sound,
listening, and environment through research and creative exploration.
www.acousticecology.us.
Human Listening
What can listening to nature teach humans? A lot.
Relaxing by a seashore, hiking through the forest, or walking in a park
can calm the brain and body. And reduce stress. Being in nature
involves myriad senses: listening, seeing, smelling, and feeling. But,
acoustic ecology studies sounds.
Research is surmising that nature sounds can physically modify the
synapses in the brain. How many people use meditation apps with nature
sounds to promote sleep? How many trauma victims use nature as a
healing activity?
Mother Nature is mothering. Listen to the sound of the wind rustling
leafs. Listen to birds singing. Listen to the surge of ocean waves.
Ahhh. That’s how I spell relief. Spending time in nature is beneficial
for human beings.
“The Listening Walk,” a picture book for kids, by Paul Showers is
recommended. A little girl and her father take a quiet walk and
identify the sounds around them. Soon the girl discovers an
extraordinary world of sounds in her everyday environment.
Sound Pollution
As noted in Bernie Krause’s book, The Great Animal Orchestra, “A great
silence is spreading over the natural world even as the sound of man is
becoming deafening. Little by little the vast orchestra of life, the
chorus of the natural world, is in the process of being quietened.
There has been a massive decrease in the density and diversity of key
vocal creatures, both large and small. The sense of desolation extends
beyond mere silence.”
Nature Sounds in Ohio Appalachia
Winding roads, rolling hills, rivers and creeks can all be found in
Ohio’s Appalachian Country. This 32 county region spans from Ohio's
southwest corner all the way up to it’s northeast corner, following the
Ohio River. www.appalachianohio.com.
To find an Ohio State Park, go to www.parks.ohiodnr.gov/findapark. Turn
off technology, get off the couch, skip the shopping mall, and go
outside to listen.
Listening to Nature in Southern Appalachia
The woods are full of natural sounds. Take a picnic basket and a blanket. Put on your listening ears and enjoy.
The Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System
encompass over 20,000 acres in beautiful southern Ohio. www.nature.org.
The Adams county preserve is located near West Union Ohio.
In 1955, Ohioan Emma Gatewood became the first woman to hike the entire
Appalachian Trail solo and in one season. This southeast Ohio trail
named in her honor extends from Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave, two of
Hocking Hills State Park’s most famous natural landmarks. The hike is
also part of the larger Buckeye Trail, the North Country Trail and the
American Discovery Trail.
Shawnee State Park and Forest. Ohio’s largest state forest, over 88,000
acres. Cram the kids and grandma in the backseat and embark on a
listening adventure.
How often have I heard the following whiney comment from adolescents
and adults: “There’s nothing to do around here. It’s so boring.”
Really? Dust off your duff and go on a listening exploration.
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till
sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” —John Muir
Melissa Martin, Ph.D, is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio.
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