The Great Animal Orchestra. Wait… an orchestra of animals? Who do you suppose is in it? Well, that depends on where in the world you are, because there’s a Great Animal Orchestra in every habitat on the planet…
S1-22 In Wildness is the Preservation of the World
In many places around the world wild voices have been silenced. In the Highlands of Scotland, for instance, apex predators, such as the Eurasian Lynx, were hunted to extinction around 1,500 years ago! Once a place loses its wildness, it’s really hard to bring it back.
S1-21 Jack London and the European Starling
In Jack London State Historic Park, outside of Jack London’s cottage, is an old oak tree. If you stand next to it on a Spring morning you may hear a mix of a lot of different kinds of birds, including the European Starling. But is this the same soundscape Jack listened to while writing his thousand words a day, over 100 years ago?
S1-20 California Quail at Sugarloaf
California Quail make a lot of different sounds, but the easiest one to remember is a three-syllable song that sounds like they’re saying “Chi-ca-go, Chi-ca-go.”
S1-19 Listening for Biodiversity
The soundscape in this forest of White Alder is incredible! Just listen to the diversity of sounds. There’s the water in the creek, at least one species of insect, and eight or more species of bird. So much can be learned just by listening to a place!
S1-18 Saving Steelhead
Fisheries biologist David Hines is standing at the bank of Walker creek, near the town of Tomales. He’s here as part of an effort to help protect Steelhead trout. Steelhead used to be abundant along the Central California coast, but now their very existence here is threatened...
S1-17 Biophony: The Music of Life
Most habitats are made up of a fairly diverse mix of creatures. And, in this one we can hear a few different species... Now, you may think they’re all just randomly singing, but think again...