Welcome to our first bonus episode! Every Tuesday, for the next weeks, we will share short segments about nature, nature sounds, life and poetry for a moment of reflection and appreciation.

Recorded in Spring 2023, Mud Pond Nature Preserve, Williston, Vermont, USA

Steven is an author, educator, speaker, writer, photographer, a ‘technology demystifier,’ and a producer of video and audio media. To learn more about him and his vast work, visit his website linked below.

https://www.shepardcomm.com/

To learn about who Loren Corey Eiseley was, visit the Loren Eiseley Society at https://www.eiseley.org/

Recordist: Jan Brelih

Jungle at the Himalayan foothills known as Shiwalik Hills where elephants, tigers and leopards still roam. More saturated bird activity can be observed here, creating a more vibrant acoustic environment, compared to a higher mountain habitat. As the morning goes on, the atmosphere evolves and changes dramatically.

Field recording by Jan Brelih at the Rajaji National Park, India

It's a warm autumn morning in the countryside of Rio de Janeiro. A small river flows in the middle of the forest vegetation.

Recording by Verónica Cerrotta

Depending on the weather at the turn of March and April, you can witness an amazing spectacle of moor frogs mating in small water reservoirs, along with the awakening of nature.

During this period, the males turn a beautiful blue color due to the accumulation of lymph in the subcutaneous lymphatic sinuses. The azure shade of their skin is temporary and only lasts during mating.

The moor frog mating call is unmistakable, sounding like “wuog … wuog … wuog,” resembling a gurgling and chuckling bottle being opened underwater. During the breeding season, the marsh frogs’ amorous calls are often accompanied by deep grumbling sounds produced by common grass frogs, which inhabit the same areas.

Let yourself be enchanted by the evolving soundscape of the frog choir during the early spring sunrise.

Field recording by Jakub Orzęcki. Barycz Valley, Poland

A morning recording from a grassy coastal woodland on the coast of Queensland. Many trees and shrubs were in flower, attracting a variety of honeyeaters and other nectivorous birds. Later in the recording the birdsong becomes more sparse as the wind increases and the day heats up.

Field recording by Marc Anderson

There is an arc with this recording that connects to this: we can hear the ocean waves rolling in at high tide, but what creates that wonderful deep roar are the wooden groynes that have been installed along the beach shoreline. They create resistance to the force of the ocean and reduce the amount of longshore drift, helping sand to build up in front of the cliffs. They have been constructed to preserve the shoreline and to protect the dunes and cliffs from erosion. The cliff retreats an average of approx. 2m per year here. Erosion is a natural and beautiful process in and of itself, and one that inevitably occurs over the passing of time. Intervention techniques such as groynes can be used to add an element of control to the situation, and for me demonstrates a constructive collaboration between man, technology and nature which demonstrates how we can create sustainable spaces for future generations to benefit from.

Deep, rolling waves.

Carrying the ocean’s song to the shore

Smooth pebbles caressed by time

Recording by Mat Eric Hart

There are many species of Cicadas, each has its own sound. They have a special organ called “tymbal” that produces sound, which contains a series of ribs that buckle one after the other when the cicada flexes its muscles. Every time a rib buckles, the rib produces a click.

#fieldrecording by Sounding Wild

Dawn chorus with thunderstorm high in the mountain valley, approx. 1000m above sea leve in a remote mountain area.

The surrounding mountains create this nice natural echo. Recorded in late Spring

Field recording by Ivo Vicic