Inside the Creative Mind

This week, PRI posted their interview with Wild Sanctuary's Bernie Krause, discussing how his background in music led to the formation of 'The Niche Hypothesis', describing the elegance of biophony, the astonishing chorus of the creature world. Our thanks to Studio 360 for helping share the sounds of the natural wild. Listen here!

Mp3 Downloads vs CDs - Where old CDs go

Each day in America, thousands of CDs are tossed into landfills or worse yet, ultimately become part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, because of inefficient recycling services to properly handle all the wasted jewel boxes, DVDs, floppy discs, and CDs that get routinely trashed. Helping to reduce this waste is why we've switched to Mp3 downloads as our preferred delivery format for Wild Sanctuary album titles.

Help make a difference by swapping, selling, or donating your old albums to others who might find them of use, or if they've gotta go... send your unwanted old discs and jewel cases to CD Recycling Central. (For larger quantity or studio recycling, try Greendisk). Oh, and you can punch a couple of holes in the top of one and tie it to hang down in back of your bike seat. Makes a good reflector! Click the link for the address and other information you need - and help keep these items from showing up where they really don't belong (like in the ocean). The fishes will thank you.

Leave no footprints, especially the carbon kind

To minimize our impact on the environment, while in the field, some say 'take only photos, leave only footprints'; a good adage to be sure. We say, 'Record some sounds, and reduce your carbon footprints, too, whenever and wherever you can.' Brighterplanet.com is doing some interesting campaigns in support of renewable energies and offers a nice bit of offset just by posting their badge to your blog.

Live from New York - it's Wild Sanctuary!

We are pleased to be in New York City this week as guests of The World Science Festival. Bernie will be addressing 'The Sixth Extinction' with scientific luminary Richard Leakey at Columbia University's Miller Theater.
 An added note: they call it 'the city that never sleeps', we're guessing it has something to do with noise, the No. 1 'quality of life' complaint of city dwellers. In 2006, alone, there were 350,000 citizen complaints registered about just that; since 2007 there's been a 6% rise in that figure. CHIRP!!!

Keeping WIRED to the Natural World

Thanks go to Clive Thompson and the well-versed editors at WIRED, for their May 19, 2008 story on soundscapes and 'How Man-made Noise Can Be Altering the Earth's Ecology.' Kudos always to that publication for their environmentally-friendly approach to the high tech world. We appreciate intrepid trailblazers of the Wired kind, exploring new ways to stay well-connected to the natural world - within the digital age. Image: budgetstockphoto.com

Bernie Krause, Richard Leakey, & David Thoreson address 'The Sixth Extinction'

Bernie joins celebrated paleontologist R. Leakey and intrepid photographer D. Thoreson in addressing the precarious position of planet Earth at The World Science Festival, Friday, May 30, 8:00 PM in The Miller Theater at Columbia University, NYC. This extraordinary, 5-day event is a celebration of art, science, and community - featuring Nobel Laureates and a breathtaking gathering of scientific star power among the speakers, moderators, and other participants. Check it out at www.worldsciencefestival.com/speakers

The Global Soundscape Project

Adding sound to Google Earth is part of what inspires public awareness about the increasingly fragile natural and human environment.

Wild Sanctuary’s planned Center for Soundscape Studies will also be home to the Global Soundscape Project, an interactive network connecting mapping technology, digital recording storage, audio-naturalists and others to further dialogue in local, national, and international ecological awareness around the creative and scientific exploration of natural soundscape.

Our developing project builds an innovative bridge between the virtual and natural world, as a community of emerging bio-acousticians, audio/naturalists, educators, and others move forward in their work -- utilizing field-recording, content storage, and analysis technology, in convergence with the interconnected communications of new media, to enhance ecological dialogue and understanding, stimulate research, support distance studies, raise public awareness, and ignite creative expression within the digital age.

Inviting multi-disciplinary scholastic and academic use, and promoting increased cultural appreciation for the fragile soundscapes of the natural world, the project explores new technology and media applications to link social networking, academic collaboration, information exchange, and educational resources as never before.

The mindful results of protecting the natural resource of healthy soundscape can be as powerful and effective in creating ecologically-positive social behavioral change as prior campaigns for clean air, fresh water, and smoke-free public places! Exploring the role of natural sound in creature, habitat, and human health and well-being can provide important and beneficial information for future generations.

Stay tuned for future developments as we develop what we hope to be a truly visionary and resonant program.

Now, more than ever ...
what you listen to matters!

Find Kevin Colver at the WildStore

It's a patchwork constellation of biodiversity!...and a rare find for those who love the sounds of birds at home in their natural habitats, as they pour forth their remarkable melodies in sweet-sounding collaboration. Our respected colleague, Dr. Kevin Colver, is a top-notch audio/naturalist - and we're greatly pleased to announce that several of his noteworthy songbird titles are now available as MP3 downloads within Wild Sanctuary's WildStore. From Songbirds of SouthWest Canyon Country, to the Sierra Nevada's, Yellowstone, and the High Rockies, Colver's beautiful biophonic anthologies are certain to please.