https://reasonstobecheerful.world/preserving-natural-quiet-loud-world/
"In 2020, when a global pandemic silenced the drone of aircraft and drum of
traffic, a new soundtrack of birdsong, rain falling and the buzz of bees
traveling from plant to plant emerged. This lack of man-made noise is what
natural silence sounds like.
“It was a turning point for our cause,” says Matt Mikkelsen, executive director
of wilderness parks for Quiet Parks International (QPI), a nonprofit founded in
2018. “Although eerie, it showed us all what we’d been missing.” QPI’s parks,
trails and wilderness areas offer places to escape noise pollution and
experience the restorative power of natural silence. The organization’s mission
to save quiet for the benefit of all life is part of a broader effort to combat
the increasing noise of our world.
A 2023 hearing study conducted by Apple in partnership with the University of
Michigan confirms the cacophony of man-made noise has indeed made the world
louder. Using data from iPhones and Apple Watches, the study revealed that in
the U.S., one in three adults is regularly exposed to man-made noise above 70
decibels, the level deemed safe for human health by the World Health
Organization. Prolonged exposure to sound louder than this not only causes
hearing loss but has been attributed to hypertension, blood pressure changes
and sleep disturbances.
Remove this noise and the body relaxes, as Tara Tiger Brown discovered as part
of her Ph.D. studies in forestry at the University of British Columbia.
Focusing on how natural soundscapes affect human wellbeing, her findings were
loud and clear: The heart rates of the participants in her research slowed by
an average of 6.7 beats per minute when immersed in quiet environments.
Inspired by what she’d uncovered, Brown partnered with Metro Vancouver Regional
Parks and in 2024 launched a pilot project: Silent Trails. Set within the park
system of the City of Vancouver and the surrounding area, two acoustically
protected trails create a space where people can go to listen to nature. “I
looked at 20 to 30 trails,” Brown recalls. Her requirements were stringent: no
dogs, no bicycles, no nearby construction — and they had to be fully accessible
to the public. Once she’d chosen the trails, signs were posted encouraging
users to listen closely to sounds such as bird calls and the wind through the
trees.
The community’s response has been encouraging. “People have said it’s easier
for them to hear natural sounds on the designated trails compared to others,”
says Brown, who is now working to expand the program beyond Vancouver and
deepen public engagement with naturally quiet spaces. But it’s a tall order."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
