Podcast Summary
Exploring the World's Quiet Places with Sound Designer Matt Mickelson: Sound designer Matt Mickelson travels the world to record natural sounds for Quiet Parks International, preserving quiet places, and finding joy in the intricacies of nature despite human-made noise.
The power of listening to the world around us, especially in nature, can bring us happiness and fulfillment. The BBC, as a trusted source of information and inspiration, helps us connect with stories that make us think. Regina Barber shared a tale of sound designer Matt Mickelson, who travels the world to record natural sounds for Quiet Parks International, a conservation group dedicated to preserving the last quiet places on Earth. Matt's journeys have taken him to various noisy yet beautiful ecosystems, including Olympic National Park, Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area, and American Prairie Reserve. Though these places are beautiful, they still have significant human-made noise. The importance of natural quiet versus pure quiet is recognized by conservationists. By leaning into the art of listening, we can appreciate the intricacies of nature and find joy in the world around us.
The Quietest Place on Earth is Threatened by Human-Made Noise: Haleakala National Park's crater, known for its natural silence, is under threat from human noise. Preserving this quiet environment is crucial to maintain the unique experience for visitors.
Haleakala National Park in Maui, specifically the crater at the top of the volcano, is considered one of the quietest places on Earth. The ambient sound in this area is near the threshold of human hearing, making it a unique and peaceful experience. However, this tranquil environment is threatened by human-made noise. Visitors hiking down into the crater can experience the wind, birds, insects, and even their own heartbeats. Honey Girl Duhmen, the interpretation and education specialist at Haleakala National Park, emphasizes the importance of preserving this natural silence. The daily science podcast "Shortwave" from NPR explores the efforts to keep this quiet place quiet and the potential consequences of disrupting this natural soundscape.
Sacred Volcano Crater Threatened by Noise Pollution: Native Hawaiian traditions connect with the land through cultural practices, but noise pollution from tour groups and helicopters threatens the unique and quiet soundscape of a sacred volcano crater.
The summit of a volcano crater, considered a sacred place by Native Hawaiians named Vau Akua, offers a unique and quiet experience in nature due to the lack of wildlife, shielding from wind, and historical difficulty in access. Native Hawaiian traditions involve connecting with the land through chants, hulas, and offerings, which are tied to the distinct sounds of different seasons. However, this peaceful soundscape is threatened by increasing noise pollution from tour groups using combustion engines and helicopters. Scientists like Ashley Pipkin from the National Park Service are working to measure and understand the impact of noise pollution on national parks, which number over 550 across the country.
Mapping quiet parks: Preserving natural soundscapes: Experts map quiet parks by researching noise sources and measuring sound levels to ensure at least 15 minutes of human noise absence, recognizing their importance in maintaining the natural world's balance and beauty.
Preserving natural soundscapes, particularly those free of human noise, is becoming increasingly important due to the increase in air travel and infrastructure development. These quiet pockets of nature are valuable and rare, and there are organizations and individuals dedicated to finding and protecting them. Matt Mickelson, an audio expert, creates sonic maps of potential quiet parks by researching noise sources, industrial sites, and air traffic patterns. He then spends multiple days recording sound and taking measurements to determine if the area meets the organization's standard of 15 minutes of complete human noise absence. This 15-minute interval is challenging to find and represents a truly magnificent and worthwhile experience. Conservation efforts for soundscapes can take various forms, such as restricting helicopter tours or implementing other noise reduction measures. The importance of these quiet parks is recognized by scientists and conservationists, and their preservation is a crucial step in maintaining the natural world's balance and beauty.
Protecting quiet zones in parks for peace of mind and ecosystem health: Preserving quiet zones in parks benefits both visitors and ecosystems by reducing noise pollution, indicating other pollution issues, and promoting sustainable tourism approaches
Protecting quiet zones in parks isn't just about reducing noise for visitors' peace of mind, but it's also an essential step towards preserving the overall health of the ecosystem. Soundscapes are good indicators of the presence of other forms of pollution. By prioritizing sound conservation, communities can potentially tackle other environmental issues and change tourism approaches to be more sustainable. It's crucial to remember that conservation goes beyond physical preservation and includes protecting people's stories, histories, and cultures. Thus, when considering the importance of preserving certain sounds, it's essential to consider their significance in the context of the local community and wildlife.
Exploring the Quietest Place on Earth: Haleakala National Park, Hawaii: Visiting Haleakala National Park in Hawaii offers an awe-inspiring experience of the quietest place on Earth. The team expresses gratitude to the park's staff and invites listeners to learn more in the show notes. Easycater sponsors the podcast, providing simplified meal solutions for businesses.
Learning from this episode of Shortwave is the awe-inspiring experience of visiting the quietest place on Earth, Haleakala National Park in Hawaii. We express our gratitude to the park's staff for their assistance in creating this episode. For more information, check out our show notes. Our team includes Giselle Grayson as senior supervising editor, Beth Donovan as senior director, and Anya Grundmann as senior vice president of programming. I'm Regina Barber, and this is Margaret Cirino. We hope you enjoyed this exploration into the wonders of science and nature. A reminder that our podcast is supported by Easycater, a company dedicated to helping businesses manage their food needs, from employee meal plans to on-site staffing to concierge ordering support with corporate accounts. With nationwide restaurant coverage and payment by invoice, Easycater simplifies the process of providing meals for your team. For more information, visit Easycater.com. Stay curious and keep listening to Shortwave, the daily science podcast from NPR.
