Sustainable Listening: the Sehome Hill Arboretum Sound Mapping Project

Amount Awarded: $5,000.00

Academic Year: 2023-2024

Implementation: Winter 2024- Spring 2024

The goal of this project is fourfold: to develop a living, communal archive of sound to serve as ecological, musicological, and social data; to introduce a unique and important method of engaging with and stewarding our natural space; to explore opportunities to improve and expand environmental accessibility; and to teach students and community members the critical skill of active listening and its role in strengthening both environmental and cultural sustainability. 

Here is an excerpt from the application: 

“As bioacoustic ecologists and ecomusicologists are continuing to discover, sounds can reveal a wealth of information about the health of our environments. This can take form, for instance, as measuring the success of environmental restoration efforts through analyzing the number and variety of bird calls in a given area, a well-known indicator of biodiversity. Sustaining our environments requires a multiplicity of approaches and our hope is that our sound mapping efforts in the Sehome Hill Arboretum will help us better understand and sustain this cherished area of our campus and community. Can you imagine a world in which we can interpret the changes in the arboretum over a five-year period just by listening to its sounds? Can you envision more students and community members in thoughtful engagement with natural spaces? Can you hear in your mind’s ear how much more meaningful the arboretum could be if it was inclusive of all visitors and stewards, regardless of ability? We can.” 

Check out the sound map.