Earth Calling
"Amplifying nature connection."
About two months ago, I received an invitation on my SoundCloud account, asking if I would like to submit some of my field recordings to a non-profit website called “Earth.fm”. This surprised me for two reasons: first, because few people seemed to be interested in the soundscapes I presented there so far; and second, because I had never heard of Earth.fm before. I checked out the website and was surprised that it had not caught my attention earlier in my soundscape-related searches. It seemed the perfect sort of inspirational website for a budding field recordist (i.e., me!) to listen to high-quality audio and learn more about the art and craft of recording natural soundscapes.
At the heart of Earth.fm’s mission is the deep belief that reconnecting people to the natural world through immersive listening fosters empathy and inspires conservation action. Our recordings aim to enhance nature awareness, promote mental health, and motivate people toward meaningful environmental connection.
I submitted my first recordings, and with some friendly guidance from the curator, Melissa Pons (She of A Night with Iberian Wolves fame), I soon had a few soundscapes accepted.
Considering what we know about the benefits of listening to the sounds of nature (see this CBC article), I encourage readers to find the time to get out into the natural world, whether it’s a local park, garden or natural area, and discover the pleasure of listening. These opportunities are not always available to everyone, so as an alternative, I suggest visiting Earth.fm. Take the time to sit back, relax and listen (preferably with headphones or earbuds) to some of the free recordings. Allow yourself the freedom to explore those soundscapes in the same manner you might physically explore a landscape, but now wholly as a journey of the imagination, an escape into your choice of habitats from around the world.
If you’re impressed, download the app and sign up for the newsletter. And be sure to consider becoming an Earth.fm member to gain even wider access to more amazing natural soundscapes.