Matt Klein approximately 200 words
INTD 105-19: Science Writing
“Whisper of the Wild” Response
By Matt Klein
In “Whisper of the Wild,” Kim Tingley describes her personal experiences in Denali National Park and Preserve. She had journeyed there with Davyd Betchkal, the park’s physical-science technician. Betchkal’s goal was to set up equipment that would record the natural sounds—the “soundscape”—of the park. This was part of his work in soundscape ecology, a relatively new field of science that works to record and study the acoustics of ecosystems to determine their health. Since human noise is increasing in wild areas, soundscape ecologists such as Betchkal hope to use their findings to preserve the natural acoustics of these ecosystems, thereby protecting the sound-reliant species that live there.
Just as Betchkal is searching for natural soundscapes free of human noise pollution, I have always wanted to see the night sky free of light pollution. Since I have always lived by large towns and shopping malls, I have only ever been able to see a fraction of the stars. Someday, I would like to go some remote area and see the beauty of the night sky in its entirety.
I really liked your connection from sound pollution, the focus of the article, to light pollution. I also grew up in a place where the stars were not visible, and I think that this yearning for the experience of nature without human intervention intersects with what Tingley says in an interesting way, as well as some of Cronon’s ideas.
I can relate to your desire to see the sky without light pollution. I often take long exposure photos of the stars with the hope of capturing the intricate star bands of the milky way, but unfortunately the glow of nearby towns and buildings have obscured them from my camera.
Your connection relates well to Tingley’s article. Just as our sounds harm animal’s ability to sense predators and prey and mates, so too does our light block animal’s senses and upsets the ecosystem.