Penn State researcher invites public to record soundscapes on Earth Day

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Researchers studying natural soundscapes are hosting a Record the Earth event on Earth Day, April 22.

People from around the world are encouraged to download their free Soundscape Recorder app (from iTunes or GooglePlay Store) and record their soundscapes.  

“Recording soundscapes, the sounds that make up the places we each live, is an opportunity for everyone to participate in the scientific process. Record the Earth is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with others across the country and to identify what makes places important,” said Jonathan Beever, postdoctoral scholar at the Rock Ethics Institute.

The app allows users to record their own soundscape, which can then be uploaded to the Global Soundscapes Day website ( where participants can share their recordings with the rest of the world.  At the website, users can map out places where “soundscapes make people happy" and listen to more than 500,000 stereo recordings from exotic ecosystems (e.g. Sonoran Desert, Costa Rican jungles, Bornean rainforests) that have been made by soundscape ecologists. There are also pages where visitors can learn more about the importance of sound in ecology and test their knowledge of how specific sounds that occur in nature.

Last Updated April 21, 2014