Image by SneĹľana TriÂfunović, via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
Walk into a forÂest. Stand perÂfectÂly still. Close your eyes. What do you hear? The sounds of birds, the rustling leaves, yes, yes…. But what’s that? And that? The forÂest is full of sounds you can’t idenÂtiÂfy! CuriÂous sounds, far-away sounds, soothÂing sounds, sounds that are not the churnÂing anxÂious wheels inside your head when you try to relax….
ExpeÂriÂencÂing ourÂselves around trees has sevÂerÂal demonÂstraÂble benÂeÂfits, as the sciÂence of forÂest bathing has taught us. Many of these have to do with visuÂal, olfacÂtoÂry, and tacÂtile pleaÂsures. But we must not neglect the natÂurÂal acoustic sysÂtem all around us: an immerÂsive expeÂriÂence in full 360-degree sound. Trees’ “vibraÂtoÂry enerÂgies reveal humanity’s many conÂnecÂtions with forests,” writes David George Haskell at SciÂenÂtifÂic AmerÂiÂcan.
Forests “are full of song.”
That’s all very well for peoÂple who can go outÂside. But if you’re locked down in a major city, say, or the office, or an ill-advised holÂiÂday gathÂerÂing, and you feel corÂtiÂsol levÂels risÂing, we’ve got you covÂered. Back in SepÂtemÂber, we feaÂtured Sounds of the ForÂest, a crowdÂsourced audio archive gathÂerÂing sounds from forests all over the world. Now, these clips are streamÂing at Tree.fm, an online radio staÂtion for tree songs in stereo.
Streams rill, frogs hoot, birds caw and squawk in choÂrus. And then there are the trees, each species posÂsessed of its own voice, Haskell writes:
Gusts of wind soniÂfy plant diverÂsiÂty. Oak’s voice is coarse-grained, throaty; maple’s is sandy and light. These difÂferÂences have their oriÂgins in plant evoÂluÂtion and adapÂtaÂtion. Drought-resisÂtant oak leaves are thickÂer, tougher than the water-hunÂgry maple. The difÂferÂent sounds of trees on a dry mounÂtain ridge and in a moist forestÂed holÂlow speak to the parÂticÂuÂlarÂiÂties of the ecolÂoÂgy of each place. PonÂderosa pine sings sweetÂly in the winds of CalÂiÂforÂnia, its long neeÂdles were, John Muir wrote, “finest music” and a “free, wing-like hum”. But in ColÂorado, pines have evolved shortÂer, stiffer neeÂdles to cope with heavy loads of snow and ice. There, the trees wail as their wiry neeÂdles harÂrow the wind.
Tree.fm “is a tool that gives you instant access to the sounds of the world’s forests,” Beth SkwarecÂki writes at LifeÂhackÂer. Many of those sounds, like the forests that proÂduced them, are endanÂgered, not only from the usuÂal susÂpects but also the noise polÂluÂtion of highÂways and housÂing develÂopÂments. LisÂten to forÂest songs on repeat or hit “lisÂten to a ranÂdom forÂest” and be “transÂportÂed to MadaÂgasÂcar to lisÂten to some lemurs, or to Ghana to hear some peaceÂfulÂly rushÂing water, or to RusÂsia, where a bird I’ve nevÂer heard of puts on a vocal perÂforÂmance.” This is good medÂiÂcine. DisÂcovÂer the forÂest songs that best soothe your nerÂvous sysÂtem or delight ears at Tree.fm.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Sounds of the ForÂest: A Free Audio Archive GathÂers the Sounds of Forests from All Over the World
Free: DownÂload the SubÂlime Sights & Sounds of YelÂlowÂstone NationÂal Park
How to Find Silence in a Noisy World
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
It’s still “Sounds of the ForÂest”, that has all the forÂest-sounds, as the Trees.fm hyperÂlinks you to that site to lisÂten to the globÂal map.
They pubÂlish the forÂest sounds you record, I was surÂprised to see they pubÂlished my AlbanÂian forÂest recordÂing. I will do it again, and encourÂage othÂers here to record the sounds of nature near their own homes, too!
This is a wonÂderÂful way to de-stress!