Justin D’Souza                                                                             About 220 words    INTD 105 Science Writing                                                                                  SUNY Geneseo

Natural Ambiance versus Human Racket

by Justin D’Souza

We can see that humans have drastically altered the globe…but can we hear how we did it as well? Soundscape ecology, a new field of research, aims to discover how human activity has changed the natural compositions of the wild. Kim Tingley writes about an expedition with Davyd Betchkal into Denali National Park to monitor the natural sounds there. Often, their journey through the natural harmony was disturbed by overhead jets or helicopters. These human sounds can make it more difficult for animals to track prey or hear predators or send out mating calls. Soundscape scientists aim to not only study how humans affect wild sound, but preserve natural melodies before humans destroy them, such as the scuffle of bear cubs or the rush of an ice cave. Tingley notes the importance of sound – it surrounds one, and brings one into a natural landscape. We can shut our eyes, but never turn off our ears.

Sound connects to my life in multiple ways, the first being no matter how much I try to sleep during weekends, the random yelling of people outside my window keeps me up!! On a more scientific level, this clearly connects to what Professor McClure will do in Antarctica, because he will preserve the natural sounds of the ice, as well as giving nature a voice in the crowd of human noise.

Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 150 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

The Significance of Soundscapes

By Sarah Lambert

    Kim Tingley’s personal narrative elaborates on her experience in the Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. She follows Davyd Betchkal on an expedition to set up recording equipment that will be able to observe the pure soundscape with minimal human interaction. Tingley exemplifies how important the role of these soundscapes are on our planet because of the way, from them, we can determine how our ecosystems are thriving or diminishing. Determining how the sound humans create affect the natural order of things in the wild illustrates how we can use “sound ecology” to study our environment even closer.

    Tingley’s piece interested me especially because music and sound, in my experience, can be extremely influential on emotions and mental states. I’m very interested in this specific case study and how the results turned out. Our ability to translate these moments in time in specific places is outstanding and inspiring.

Alec Toufexis

agt9@geneseo.edu

INTD109-15

The ability to hear noise without the influence of humans is a rare occurrence. So much so that its existence is being studied in the remote regions of the planet. Kim Tingley explains that human “noise” is considered a form of pollution and natural sounds should be preserved just as tangible objects are. This is so wildlife isn’t confused or deafened by the cacophonous noise of humans.

I can see a parallel between this article and my trip to Glacier National Park. My family and I saw all of the tourist attractions but we thought it would be nice to go off on a trail when there were little to no other people around. The trail was gorgeous and lined with waterfalls, mountains, and lush foliage. More importantly there were no other people in sight and we were surrounded by the sounds of the trickling water, wildlife, and the cool wind blowing through the dense forest. It was a deeply moving experience that deserves the same protection as the park itself.

Robert Romano                                                         Approximately 200 words

10/31/16

Hearing the World

In “Whisper of the Wild” written by Kim Tingley, Tingley centers her piece around how humans have altered the natural, acoustic ecosystem of our planet and how ecosystems have adapted to the world of artificial instruments. Also, Tingley talks a lot about how majestic it is to hear solely nature, but in an extremely urbanized society this sensation is very difficult to achieve.

I can connect this piece to a personal experience of my own because I remember that there was a massive blizzard a couple of years ago and I went to an open, snow-covered plain to meditate. I was very at piece during this experience and the only thing that I could hear was the swooshing of the winds from the powerful snowstorm. A belief of mine is that society must become less urban and focus more on preserving the natural world. When I read Tignley’s piece it reminded me of how important the beauty of the natural world is to us and how we must utilize it to obtain peace of mind. An experience that I would love to create for myself would be to travel to Antarctica and be all alone with only mother-nature and my thoughts.

Rachael Natoli                                                                                                  10/30/16

INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing                                         About 170 Words

In “Whisper of the Wild”, Kim Tingley wrote about her experience with soundscape ecology in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. She wrote about the influence that man made sound, specifically the disturbances of planes, has had on many species of animals. Although many of the species can adjust the noises they make so they can be heard, the problem is that man made noise makes it difficult for species to hear noises around them that could cause harm. Tingley wrote about her experience with a sound station she helped to set up in Denali that was used to detect the soundscape in the middle of winter.

This experience of being in the completely silent Alaskan winter seemed to really affect Tingley’s perspective on man made sound and also seemed to be something that interested her. If I were to create an experience similar to this I would want it to be related to the effects of pollution on the environment because it is an issue that I am very interested in.

Patrick Jones                                                               Approximately 150 Words

pwj2@geneseo.edu

INTD 105-19

October 31, 2016

“Whisper of the Wild” Summary and Analysis

In her piece, “Whisper of the Wild”, Kim Tingley describes her expedition deep into Denali National Park in Alaska. Tingley joined Davyd Betchkal, the physical-science technician of Denali National Park, in an attempt to record the natural sounds of the area without human interference. Betchkal is one of many who believe humans are polluting nature with our constant noise. Studies have shown that many species of birds, including the great tit, have altered their songs as a result of living near humans. Many other species have not been able to adapt and are struggling to survive in such a loud world. Betchkal hopes to record the sound of nature to help preserve and protect it as we continue to grow louder.

While reading this piece, I was enthralled by Tingley’s discussion of the effect of sonar on porpoises. My family owns a small cottage on Seneca Lake, the location of a sonar test facility for the military. I’d be interested in researching more about the sound pollution this military base produces and its effect on the wildlife I’ve interacted with.

Alexis Baer                                                                                       about 150 words
anb8@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Writing Science

“Whisper of the Wild” Response
By Alexis Baer

“Whisper of the Wild” by Kim Tingley is about listening to our surroundings and experiencing nature in Denali National Park. Within todays society, it is very difficult to only hear the sounds of nature considering the constant human interference with machines, aircrafts, and other advanced technology that we have become used to. Since it is hard to know what nature is suppose to sound like, ecologists and engineers have created soundscape ecology which is being tested on what these sounds are and how it negatively can affect the population or different species. Soundscape was one of the reasons that Tingley and Davyd Betchka’s decided to traveled to Alaska, in order to listen and observe the natural sounds that nature has to offer. Tingley’s article about soundscape is similar to my one of my own personal experiences where I camped out in the middle of the woods for a few days and based off only aural senses, I had to identify different animals based on their individual sounds.

Mike Emanuele    10/30/16

me12@geneseo.edu    150 words

INTD-105 Science Writing

In “Whisper of the Wild,” Kim Tingley shares her experiences in Denali national park in Alaska and her research on the sounds found there. Most would assume that the sounds made in a park are mostly made up of the chirping of birds, croaking of frogs, or flowing of streams. However, Tingley’s research shows that most sound actually comes from humans. Whether it be the tourists or the airplanes, humans apparently cause the most sound in these natural habitats. Surprisingly, The amount of noise made seems to be an annoyance and can be considered pollution to the area. For example, a songbirds need to shift their calls to a higher frequency in cities because it would not be heard otherwise. This means that human noise is affecting the reproduction of a species. Animals cannot function properly with the amount of noise interference caused by humans. Personally I had no idea that humans could pollute nature, even with sound. This brings awareness to the fact that pollute more than they think.  

Will Gerber

wrg1@geneseo.edu

INTD: Science Writing

“Whisper of the Wild” Synopsis

By: Will Gerber

In her article “Whisper of the Wild”, Kim Tingley details her experience collecting the sounds of the natural world in Denali National Park, Alaska. She discusses how human made noise disrupts animals’ lifestyles by disturbing their circadian rhythms and blocking out the sound of predators and prey. By recording the sounds of the natural world, soundscape ecologists hope to develop an understanding of what the world should sound like, the first step in fixing the problem.

 This article was eye opening for me as I never understood how sound pollution actually worked, much less how alarming it is. The next time I am out in nature, I will be sure to listen for human sounds.

Jason Gerbsch                                                             Approximately 200 words

jg33@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Scientific Writing

In her article “Whisper of the Wild,” Kim Tingley joins Davyd Betchkal, a sound catcher, in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.  Davyd’s goal is to collect, record, and interpret data on an endangered and highly important resource, natural sound.  Human noise pollution has expanded more and more over time, disrupting and even overpowering the ambiance of nature.  In doing so, we have altered the balance of ecosystems and even the course of evolution, as those species who cannot adapt to the intrusion of artificial noise will struggle to survive and even die out.

This article brings up a rather crucial topic that does not seem to get the attention it deserves.  We may not think that the sounds of civilization affect the natural environment in the ways that oil spills or illegal dumping of sewage or chemicals do because the effects of noise pollution on nature aren’t immediately noticeable.  However, according to Betchkal, our interference with the sound of the Earth is very detrimental; disrupting ecosystems, altering the course of evolution, even throwing off the balance of survival by causing predators and prey not being able to hear the other, for example.