The forest's philharmonic orchestra

I chose to record the sounds of cicadas because they are indicators of a healthy rainforest which is a rarity in our times If cicadas fall silent all hope is lost Shruti Suresh says The researcher who studies diverse ecosystems recorded an audio clip during one of her many visits to the lush rainforests of Agumbe in the Western Ghats of Karnataka The symphony recorded at dusk featured the Pomponia linearis cicadas as they created a rhythmic chorus accompanied by fellow nocturnal instrumentalists like the Malabar gliding frogShruti Suresh picked Agumbe in the Western Ghats an area she has been researching since 2016Suresh is one of the 600plus entrants from six continents whove sent audio files that will be compiled into Sounds of the Forest an opensource library to offer access to varied sounds from across the worlds green spaces The idea was floated by Wild Rumpus organisers of Timber Festival an annual weekend arts celebration held in the National Forest UK We come together every July to camp in the woods and get inspired by wonderful music theatre circus dance and conversation all responding to the transformative impact that trees have on our lives When we realised that we wouldnt be able to meet in person this year due to the pandemic we put our heads together to think up a sensory project thats democratic and open to as many people as possible something that could create visceral emotional connections for people with nature says Sarah Bird director Wild Rumpus It was here that nature sound artistes like Chris Watson who had participated in a previous edition offered the organising team the right focus He told us about their work with nature documentaries how the process of the recording helped to hear the aural tones and textures in the wild and how technology has enabled anyone with a smartphone to make their own field recordings This is how the idea of the first global forest sound map was bornPomponia linearis the species of cicada whose sounds Suresh recorded for the map PICsWIKIMEDIA COMMONSOver 20000 km away the biodiversity hotspot of Agumbe was fertile aural ground for Suresh whod been returning to the area for research since 2016 She discovered the Timber Festival website in August by chance while searching for recordings of the whistling thrush bird Cicadas start their dusk chorus along with endemic frogs like the Malabar gliding frog It is a remarkable sound and can reach high notes in the monsoon she shares About the sounds of the two leading instrumentalists in her recording she reveals that cicadas have a striking sound and create a deafening chorus while frogs have a faint sound that isnt easy to identifyThe Malabar Gliding Frog whose sounds Suresh recorded for the map PICsWIKIMEDIA COMMONSThe playground where this symphony comes to life within Agumbe is an area known for its Myristica swamps a natural ecosystem found only in the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Kerala Critical to the survival of the rainforest the rare swamps are extremely vulnerable to external disturbances People in India seem to have lost their connection with nature even those who live near such habitats are swayed by development rues Suresh who is currently in Aluva Kerala with her husband The couple is working on a plan to create a forest thereVisitors at the 2019 edition of the Timber Festival UK Robbed of the opportunity of the annual gathering due to the pandemic the organisers decided to replace it with a sensory project that celebrates sound artistes and connects them to the power of trees PICwild rumpusIt is this kind of focused documentation that Bird and her team hope will be the essence of the organic sound map We have a few contributions from India but are keen to attract more to reflect your countrys biodiversity and wildlife she tells this writer via an email interview from Cheshire It is a real opportunity for it to serve as an archive as well as inspiration that connects people to the power of trees She cites the example of recordings from Redwoods in California that have since burned down and stories from people whove been reminded of the sounds of home by listening to the mapmdashits been really powerfulSarah BirdRhythms from this evergrowing audio map will come to life at next years festival the organisers hope All the sounds uploaded are available to download and use for free What we love about the idea is that artistes can be inspired by it for their work We even approached four musicians to compose pieces based on the sounds contributed for the map Bird says adding that these artistes will perform the new music live in the National Forest at the 2021s edition Sounds of the Forest has a small yet impactful part to play because it seems to capture peoples imagination and offers a compelling new way to feel connected to the worlds forestsYou can participate tooHead into your local forest or green space use your phone to make a minutelong recording using a voice recorder app most phones have them built in Take a picture of the forest scene in front of you Avoid people in the frame Fill in the short form on the website share the location upload the picture and attach your audio filewwwtimberfestivalorgukKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news