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Engaging communities in listening to ecosystems: Case studies from acoustic ecology research in Australia and Mexico
Book chapter   Peer reviewed

Engaging communities in listening to ecosystems: Case studies from acoustic ecology research in Australia and Mexico

Leah Barclay
Sonic Engagement: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Community Engaged Audio Practice, pp.270-284
Routledge Advances in Theatre and Performance Studies, Routledge
2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003164227-25
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https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003164227-25View
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Abstract

Engaging communities in practices of listening to changing ecosystems is one of the most powerful ways to inspire a presence and connection to place. Deep listening processes can reveal the interconnected nature of our ecosystems and inspire communities to engage with conservation. Accessible field recording technologies that amplify our aural perception have rapidly become a valuable tool for inspiring environmental stewardship and ecological engagement. This research explores these opportunities through the development of a series of large-scale interdisciplinary projects that position sound artists and acoustic ecologists within multi-platform collaborations working directly with communities. The projects are introduced through the lens of contemporary acoustic ecology, a socially embedded interdisciplinary field using participatory methods to interrogate our relationship with place through sound. Understanding how sound influences our environment and wellbeing is central to the field of acoustic ecology, but these digital audio recordings are also addressing major gaps in our knowledge about ecosystems by using non-invasive technology to monitor ecosystems and document the temporal and spatial complexities of changing environments. The interdisciplinary intentions of audio field recording through these research endeavours raise many ethical considerations, particularly in relation to the role of aesthetics and human perception, with various epistemological tensions across the arts and science divide. This chapter introduces a series of case studies working directly with communities in Australia and Mexico through the international research projects Biosphere Soundscapes, Biosphere Open Microphones (BIOM), and River Listening.

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