Where is quiet? Where is silence? When I walk in nature, I want to hear the sounds of nature and see the biodiversity in the area. I do not want to hear anything else, not even my foot steps. With practice, I have become a better stepper on and over various surfaces, so my footsteps are not heard. Bird songs, the wind, and sounds of nature are what I want to hear. I also love seeing the bird singing or pecking at a tree. The tree leaves moving with a breeze. A surprise croak, gurgle or splash is always a joy too! However, the opportunity to be in a quiet place away from modern life’s sounds is extremely rare. Some acoustic ecologists would even suggest quiet is on the way to extinction. I actually worry when there is silence on my walks; where did everything go?
Soon I will visit a village in Ecuador’s rainforest, part of the Amazon jungle. I have fond memories of my five days in Peru’s Amazon rainforest eight years ago. We heard and saw 100 birds in 5 days, other local wildlife, along with the hum of the village people’s daily lives. I am hoping for a similar experience while visiting a village with indigenous people in Ecuador’s rainforest.
Recently I read about camping in remote places in Ecuador. I suspect my travel will not be that deep into the rainforest, but time will tell! How wonderful it would it be to simply listen to the sounds of quiet in nature!
Extra note: This book may be worth checking out! Gordon Hempton’s One Square Inch of Silence: One Man’s Search for Natural Silence in a Noisy World. Hempton is an acoustic ecologist who has recorded natural sounds around the world for the past 4 decades.
Also … Hempton is co-founder of Quiet Parks International. The website is fascinating with audio from various places around the world so we can hear sounds of nature. Plus, I noticed there were places close to my home. Here they are:
Desert Mountain Quiet Conservation Area … the first to be awarded Quiet Conservation Area status by Quiet Parks International. It is located between Phoenix, Arizona and Tonto National Forest, but it is on private property. Hmmm… will need to research this further.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California was awarded Quiet Conservation Area status too. I can really appreciate learning this information. A couple of months ago I was hiking some trails there and made a comment about how quiet it was. Little did I know then there was such a thing as “Quiet” status! And it is a state park … easy access for all with a day pass fee! Check it out if you are in the area!
Many places are being nominated; however, to receive an award there needs to be a guarantee of quietness, a huge hurdle for most of our planet! So, cherish the quiet you have in your life when you have it! There is no guarantee it will happen often.
