This is a preliminary announcement of a 4-day natural soundscape
workshop, June 24th - 28th, in one of the most beautiful spots in
America, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The program will take place at The
Murie Center (http://www.muriecenter.org/) -- the folks who
established the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Murie Center is
located within the boundary of Grand Teton National Park, which has
also approved this workshop.
Led by Martyn Stewart, Kevin Colver (yet to be confirmed), and I, our
focus will be the soundscape from many perspectives. These include
the biophony -- the non-human critter voices in given habitats,
geophony -- the non-biological sources of sound and what they reveal,
and geophony -- the noise that humans interject into the world and its
direct affect on critter life and human experience. We will also
explore the enriching benefits of the voice of the natural world as it
relates to human health and culture, including creative sound arts.
In previous workshops in the Teton-Yellowstone Basin we have
discovered several glorious nearby spots where it has been possible to
record for long periods without the interference of human noise, even
though Grand Teton National Park is the only one in the American
system with an international airport located smack in the middle.
Current precip reports suggest that several of these locations will be
accessible and active by the time the workshop takes place.
The workshop includes both field and classroom activities and is
spread over a larger number of days and nights so that participants
can more leisurely enjoy opportunities to record without contiguous
and intense late nights followed by early morning field sessions
(weather permitting).
As part of the program, The Murie Center will provide accommodations
in comfortable (but rustic) cabins and really good food service on site.
I have also invited Congressman Rush Holt, (D) New Jersey -- with whom
I worked on the Yellowstone snowmobile noise issue a few years ago --
to speak one evening. His family owns a large ranch a couple of miles
south of The Murie Center that is also a great place to record elk in
the Fall and dawn choruses in the spring when the valley is quiet.
For those interested, contact either me (off-line) or The Murie Center
for more information.
Bernie Krause, PhD
Wild Sanctuary
POB 536
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-996-6677
http://www.wildsanctuary.com
Google Earth zooms: http://earth.wildsanctuary.com
SKYPE: biophony
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