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Sylvan Sounds

Ten sylvan sounds samples of field recordings from Liz K Miller's doctoral research project: Sylvan Sounds - Attuning to the forest through listening and sound visualisation.

Within this research, listening is used as a method for re-engagement with woodlands and field recording to gather sounds of sylvan processes. The sylvan sounds explored here are often inaudible and unnoticed sounds made by trees such as transpiration, decomposition and water saturation.

Extended versions of these sound samples can be listened to on Liz's SoundCloud, along with further field recordings from the sylvan sounds research project. 

Please listen with headphones for best sound quality

Oak Leaves & WindLiz K Miller
00:00 / 01:05

Clocaenog Forest, Denbighshire, North Wales

5th April 2018

Recorded with stereo omni microphones

Chestnut Leaves & RainLiz K Miller
00:00 / 01:00

Blackheath Forest, Surrey, Southeast England

7th June 2019

Recorded with stereo omni microphones

Wood Ants & Pine NeedlesLiz K Miller
00:00 / 02:00

Forest of Mar, Cairngorms National Park, Aberdeenshire, Northeast Scotland

8th June 2018

Recorded with stereo contact microphones

Carpenter Ants & Birch LogsLiz K Miller
00:00 / 02:00

Caledonian Forest, Glen Affric, Highlands, Northwest Scotland

5th April 2019

Recorded with stereo contact microphones

Transpiration in an Ash TreeLiz K Miller
00:00 / 02:00

Scott’s Wood, Helford River, Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, Southwest England

18th August 2018

Recorded with Alex Metcalf's Tree Listening Device

Mountain Hut Storm & StoveLiz K Miller
00:00 / 02:00

Caledonian Forest, Glen Affric, Highlands, Northwest Scotland

3rd April 2019

Recorded with stereo omni microphones

Rain in Forest PuddleLiz K Miller
00:00 / 02:58

Blackheath Forest, Surrey, Southeast England

7th June 2019

Recorded with stereo hydrophones

Rainstorm Underneath Forest FloorLiz K Miller
00:00 / 02:00

Forest of Mar, Cairngorms National Park, Aberdeenshire, Northeast Scotland

8th June 2018

Recorded with stereo contact microphones

Creaking PinesLiz K Miller
00:00 / 02:06

Blackheath Forest, Surrey, Southeast England

8th May 2019

Recorded with stereo omni microphones

Dead Pine in RiverLiz K Miller
00:00 / 03:00

Forest of Mar, Cairngorms National Park, Aberdeenshire, Northeast Scotland

7th June 2018

Recorded with stereo hydrophones

Podcast: Listening to Trees

This podcast presents soundscapes of rustling leaves and cracking pines from Blackheath Forest in the Surrey hills and Clocaenog Forest in North Wales. Alongside these field recordings, Liz K Miller discusses the common terminologies used by soundscape ecologists to describe different types of sound which are (broadly speaking) animal sounds, human sounds and elemental earth sounds. Liz shows how these categories fail to capture the soundscape of trees, and asks where the sounds made by trees fit into this lexicon and study of sound. Trees are an essential part of the ecosystem but, as yet, have no place in our classification system. She presents a new category for these familiar yet often overlooked sounds, and asks what can we learn from listening to trees.

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