Our team is proposing a research trip to Jocotoco reserves in Ecuador to record bird species unique to the area. Birds such as the Andean hummingbirds and the neotropical birds endemic to the cloud forest. We will be recording and archiving bird sounds in order to effectively understand and appreciate the soundscape these endangered species inhabit.
Background of site and ecoacoustic significance
The Jocotoco reserves are run by an Ecuadorian NGO established to conserve the environment of the region as well as endangered birds unique to the region. This land is purchased by the NGO and then managed as ecological reserves which are also a refuge for ecoacustic researchers to explore and archive the soundscape. The Foundation has so far established 11 reserves, spanning more than 40,000 acres of land. The reserves protect the wildlife, facilitating the safety of the environment which wasnât also once a promise. With nearly 800 species of birds, the Jocotoco reserves are among some of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Unfortunately, 50 of these species are considered to be globally threatened as their population has suffered in part to historical disputes between neighboring countries. More and 100 of these species are specific to the region, emphasizing the importance of their preservation. While the main focus of the Foundation is preserving the endangered birds, all habitats of the region are protected under these reserves. Including fauna and flora unique to the amazon region.
The amazon rainforest of Ecuador is one of the largest tropical forests on earth. Its proximity to the Andes mountains results in many different altitudinal tiers which has facilitated the development of many different bird species as well as other diverse plants and wildlife. Also home to indenginous tribes have maintained their way of life for centuries. The reservations and national parks play a big role in protecting this landscape as it is also home to large deposits of much sought after oil reserves. Their presence restricts the oils accessibility and ensures the preservation of the landscape (www.laselvajunglelodge.com).
Material and methods for sampling and data archiving
We plan to use Zoom VR recorders to capture the sound of the landscape. The three of us will each carry two of these, one as a backup. And will all be recording in each site we visit. The Zoom VR is a 4 channel recorder. To play back the audio, we will use the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. Each of us will carry two, one as a backup. We will be recording on 64 gigabyte Sony TOUGH-G series SDXC UHS-II cards capable of withstanding 72 hours of full water submersion at a depth of 15 feet. As well as being robust enough to take up to 180 newtons of direct force and fully dust resistant. Our audio files will be stored on portable SSD drives, however and to ensure the security of the files. We will be using a Samsung 500GB 860 EVO SATA 2.5" SSD for this. Each of us will have two 64 UHS-II cards with us and two SSD drives. To transfer the audio files from the UHS-II cards to the SSDs we will use the 14â Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged. Coming with an 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8350U Processor 500GB of SATA hard drive space and 8GB of RAM. Also featuring swappable dual batteries as to extend its work capabilities. Designed to be used in hazardous environments, the computer is drop tested as high as 3 feet. We will also use the computer as a portable workstation to process and edit the audio file on the move. This will save us time after the field recordings when we would typically do this work. The Zoom VR recorders come with software to utilize its multi-channel functionality and 3D sound experience. We will also be using Adobe Audition to edit the audio files. This will be downloaded onto the computer for practical use.
Other than recorders, we will be bringing a Sony Alpha A7 III camera to also document our experience in ways beyond audio files. This will aid in communicating the results of our trip as another describable media to be presented. This is a remote region of much biodiversity. Having a visual reference for the area as well as the wildlife to be encountered adds another dimension of reference which would have otherwise been overlooked. Our source for the camera includes a camera bag, spare batteries, a battery charger, a memory card, and a lens cleaning kit. The lens we will be using is a Sony FE 24-70mm. Favored for its versatility, the lens has a f/2.8 maximum aperture to capture wide shots as well as zooms for more distant encounters. The enclosure of the lens is dust and moisture resistant to ensure its survival in the cloud forests where it is known to be rainy and unpredictable. Also coming with an easily detachable visor guard to ensure the clarity of shots even in sunny conditions.
Given the high precipitation of the region, our team will be using a set of GORE-TEX branded shells and pants to stay dry. Both patagonia branded, the set will enable us to continue working regardless of the weather given their ability to repel water and debris. To protect our gear, we will be using REI 32 liter waterproof backpacks, capable of keeping our essentials dry in any condition other than full submersion. We plan to purchase our boots at the markets in Quito. This is where many ecoacustic researchers get their boots from and will reduce the load of luggage for our international flights. The criteria for these boots are to be water resistant and go beyond our ankle.
Region of field work
The Jocotoco reserve is in the Amazon region of Ecuador. To the East, the Amazon continues into Peru, and to the East is the Andes mountain range. Thanks to the network created by other ecoacustic researchers, tour groups, reservations, and wildlife research facilities, the reserves often have lodging and food for visitors and researchers to use. There is a network of roads connecting the reserves that we will travel on. Our tour guide will drive us to our destinations. Some areas are not accessible due to the possibility of land mines. These areas will be avoided with the help of our guide and the reserves.
Health & safety concerns
Concerns for the trip mainly derive from the tropical nature of the region. With many hills, some mountains from the Andes, and the persistent precipitation which is a consequence of the air moisture colliding with the Andes mountain range which causes a collision and downfall of the water. As to not face the brunt of the environment, we plan to travel in the Winter months which experience less precipitation than the Summer and Spring months. To protect our equipment, we have carefully selected gear capable of withstanding moisture and even some instances of full submersion. This is insurance that our audio files and equipment will be protected. However, we still plan to carry backups of our more critical gear. This is why we are taking 6 total Zoom VR recorders as well as 6 pairs of headphones for playback listening. Archiving our data is another way to protect the files as recorders can be broken or even robbed from us. Having two SSD hard drives as well as a rugged computer with 500GB of SSD hard storage will give us multiple outlets to save our files on. The audio recorded in the excursion is critical to the trip, keeping them on multiple devices dramatically decreases the likelihood of it being compromised. All of our equipment will also be stored in ALPS Mountaineering Torrent dry bags. These are made of waterproofing material and will add extra protection to gear that is not moisture resistant such as the camera, SSD drives, headphones, and Zoom recorders. Spare batteries for the recorders, camera, and laptop will also be brought to ensure the functionality of the equipment even in such a remote region.
To protect ourselves from the weather, we will use patagonia GORE-TEX shell jackets and pants. This is critical given the strenuous nature of the trip. Keeping our bodies protected will ensure our resilience to continue recording and traveling throughout the trip. As mentioned, we will purchase water resistant boots from the markets in Quito, providing our own hiking soles to save our feet from the unpredictable landscape.
We also plan to consult a health care professional about the suggested vaccines for the region. Mosquito borne diseases such as typhoid, hepatitis A + B, yellow fever are much more likely to be contracted. The vaccinations will be had before our departure to Ecuador.
The Joco Tours group will be guiding our excursion. They have extensive knowledge of the region, its history, and the travel destinations for recording and lodging. They are also official partners of the Jocotoco group - a foundation devoted to the preservation of the landscape and Jocotoco reserve. Given their knowledge, the chances of getting lost on the back country roads are less likely than if we were to travel alone. Spanish is the primary language of Ecuador. While no one on our team speaks spanish, we will still be able to communicate with locals via the translator accompanying us on the tour. All travel, except international, will be coordinated by the tour group. Their connection network spans this area, leaving them to be the most qualified people to lead the travel aspect of the trip. This ensures our safety as the Ecuadorian Puruvian border has a dark history of conflict. Today, there are over 100,000 landmines in some fields of the region. With their expertise, avoiding these areas will be much more likely given their native experience and historical understanding of the region.
Timeline of the project
We plan to go in early December of 2020 to avoid the rainy season. Giving us another 9 months from the submission of this proposal from when we would leave. With this time, we will continue to do preliminary research of the region and specific reserves that we will be visiting. Also during this time, all of our travel plans will be double checked with one of the Jocotoco Tours representatives to ensure we have properly communicated the purpose of the trip as well as itinerary specifics. After this, we will continue to develop our methods of recording and gather all of the supplies needed for the trip. All devices, gear, and clothing will be checked for quality assurance. This gives us time to rectify a faulty item before we leave. Emphasizing the state of the recording and data archiving equipment as these are the most important items to bring for the excursion. All SSD and UHS-II cards will be tested. The tour will span 11 days and span 5 national reserves and wildlife parks.
To archive our data files, we will transfer the audio from the UHS-II cards to the hard drive of the computer at each site once we have finished recording. The files will then be copied and saved to the two portable SSD drives to ensure the safety of the files. Photos from the camera will also be saved with this method. To process the files, we plan to use the Adobe Audition software. This is a very versatile program that will enable us to edit, compress, and combine the audio files. This program will be downloaded on our site laptop to enable us to work on the files remotely. Having this ability will dramatically decrease the time spent after the excursion on processing the data. Other applications we will have at our disposal are Audacity and the Zoom VR software. Following the end of the trip, data will continue to be processed as we do not plan to be able to go through all of it remotely, only a portion of it.
Forecasted budget
To proceed with the trip as we have exactly planned it, we would need approximately $17,500.00. This covers all expenses that will need to be covered for our team of three. Please refer to the budget breakdown spreadsheet for specifics. $7,200.00 of this will go directly to the tour group leading the excursion. This covers lodging, food, all domestic travel, entrance fees to the reservations, and the translator. This group is an affiliate partner of the Jocotoco reserves and a portion of their profit will be donated to the preservation of the reserve. The flight to Ecuador will cost $1,554.00, this is for the three of us and includes the trip back to the United States. The technology needed to record, archive, and process the data will cost us $4,335.00 and includes backup recorders, headsets, UHS-II cards, and SSD drives to ensure the safety of the audio files and recording ability. The camera set up will cost $4,274.00 and includes the camera, the lens, as well as a series of different cases, cleaning kits, and spare batteries. Archiving the environment in ways other than purley audio will extend the reach of the results and give the needed context for the audio to be fully appreciated. Other supplies we plan to buy are rain suits, waterproof bags/backpacks, and rain boots. This is crucial given the mass precipitation of the region as well as the duration of the stay. We anticipate these expenses to cost $1,820.00. Visit the full budget breakdown by following the link in the references section
Potential outcomes
This project will result in the archival of endangered bird species as well as the overall soundscape. This is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, being the home to species of bird exclusive to the region. Unfortunately, however, the turbulent between Ecuador and Peru has compromised the environment and native people. Now, many of these bird species are going endangered and well as major changes to the acoustic landscape. Preserving this area is also the goal of the Jocotoco reserve foundation (as well as other reserves), given its significance. Archiving these sounds will save its place in history and time. Not guaranteeing the preservation of these reserves, for it is out of the scope of our capabilities as ecoacustic researchers. Instead, guaranteeing the digital preservation of the sound landscape to be enjoyed and researched by others centuries from now. In the future, our audio files could be used to compare to the future acoustic landscape of the Jocotoco reserve to better understand how it has changed and the further understand the landscape it once was. Without this, the landscape could be lost to time, the once endangered species could be gone without a trace. This is our scientific contribution to the world of ecoacusts as a result of this project.
References
Information about the Ecuadorian Amazon:
https://www.laselvajunglelodge.com/about-the-ecuadorian-amazon/
Information about the tour:
http://jocotoursecuador.com/destination/southern-trip-jocotoco-reserves/
Full budget break down:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TbrryDuUNlKlTlQmYi4HHlJ3u4qTbwPAJqnit9IIBlc/edit?usp=sharing
Here I am exploring one of the many bathrooms available to me. In this, I flushed a urinal, walked around, and turned on the faucet. Interesting to think of how unique the sounds are in that one bathr
Lexicon: 6/10
A beautiful example of some anthrophic sounds. The change in amplitude in very noticeable with the flushing of the urinal. The sound becomes slightly distorted as the it becomes louder, echoing off the tile walls.
This is in front of the Shwayder Art Building at DU. We can hear the construction, some people talking, and cars passing by.
Lexicon: 5/10
This was recorded with a zoom recorder in front of DUâs Shwayder Art School or Art & Art History. The most present sound in the recording is of the crane moving approximately a block away. This is a beacon like sound of a consistent tempo. The other sounds in the space are of construction sawing and drilling as well as a car passing by.
Here I am walking down the stairs. You can hear my leather boots squeaking, the door opening behind me as another person enters the stairwell, and a conversation going on at the bottom of the stairs.
Lexicon: 4/10
This was recorded using a zoom recorder in the DU EDP space.Focusing just on the steps of my feet, the echo of the sound is very apparent. This would change under many variables including the shoes I was wearing (timberland boots) and even the volume of the space (also given its construction).
Here I am recording the big metal doors closing behind me in the stairwell.
Lexicon: 3/10
This was recorded on a zoom recorder in the DU EDP space. The door follows the near universal patter of door opening. In the recording, you can hear the pitch of the hinge squeak grow higher as the mechanism is put under more pressure from the swivel action. See if you can hear it too.
Here I am interacting with a local water fountain.
Lexicon: 2/10
This was recorded on a zoom recorder in the DU EDP space. There are two separate sounds that make up this mechanism. The first being the initial push of the fountain control. The second being the the flow of water. The timbre of the start is rather unique. It being not just a single sound. Rather, the progression of a mechanism which can be followed by ear.
This was the first track I have ever edited. It was really interesting to see all of the different data bases I had to choose from. And, the sounds that can be found in each recording. I have been to
Lexicon: 1/10
There seems to be a crescendo to this call. It starts as a low volume, high frequency sound, and ends as a louder, lower frequency sound featuring an amplitude change at the end.
Hello all to my last blog entry for this course. This is a bittersweet ending to a class I have thoroughly enjoyed. All in all glad that at least a portion of my tumblr time has been in some way productive.
As a recap we have completed our sound artist projects as well as having been assigned our final group project. Also, in worldly news, covid-19 is officially a pandemic with more than 200 cases in Colorado alone. Itâs a good time to be in your twenties but a bad time to be a college student as all of next quarter for DU has been moved online.
The readings for the week came from R. Murray Schaferâs The Soundscape, and Douglas Kahnâs Earth Sound Earth Signal: Energies and Earth Magnitude in the Arts. The Soundscape reading was about rhythm and tempo in the soundscape. Rhythm being the arrangement of sounds by the principle of duration and periodic stress. And tempo being essentially the âspeedâ at which something should be played. These terms are commonly used to describe and manipulate the presentation of music. However, in the geological soundscape, these variables are not as easily manipulated. They are instead the consequence of the natural system occurring in our world and under our feet. One way to cheat this however is the manipulation of wind tubes to produce sound. While channels typically alter the tone of a sound, rhythm and tempo can also be hacked. Continuing this theme, we also read about the âsound of the underground.â Which mainly focused on earthquake listening and recording but also included other relevant topics of geophony and anthrophony. One tid-bit to take home from it was âas distance from the origin increases (for a sound), the sound tends to become smoother and more monotonous.â So, the farther you walk away from the parked car blarining its sirens in panic mode, the smoother and more enjoyable it will become. Even though it's 3:00 am and it's the second time this week - it still works.
Welcome to all, thank you for coming back to my page.Â
We are now over the hill in terms of this quarter. âYesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. Thatâs why it is called the present,â a quote from the great Master Oogway. Yes, the same Master Oogway from the original Kung Fu Panda movie - but donât let that take away from the meaning of the quote. Week 6 was so kind to gift me with being ill.Â
Class update: This week was mostly work days in preparation for the week 7 project presentations. Consequently, the lectures I typically enjoy werenât as thorough as previous weeks.Â
This weekâs readings were both from Douglas Kahnâs Earth Sound Earth Signal: Energies and Earth Magnitude in the Arts. The first was about Alvin Lucier, an American composer, and his quest to make music with brain waves. A task that was beyond Lucierâs sole capability. To overcome this, the help of Edmond Dewan, a physicist and colleague to Lucier at Brandeis University, was employed. The impact of this duo on Lucier was near monumental as discussing Music for Solo Performer would not be complete without giving credit to Dewan. Their collaboration also facilitated the maturation of Lucier as a mature composure. The book provides an informative diagram of the venue set up which was helpful when trying to understand the nature and delivery of the composition.Â
The second and final reading for the week was about the studies of Thomas Ashcraft. Being both an artist and a scientist, Ashcroft was fluent in the nuances of electroreception and frequency behaviors. Confirming the relationship between sound composition and science as the official theme of the week. Monitoring atmospheric activities with different frequency communications, Ashcroft must have been one of the few who could properly testify to the importance of sound (as well as other forms of frequency communication) in understanding our environment. This has been a running theme throughout the progression of this course. As we, humans, are innately biased due to our predisposition to use sight as our primary mode of world interpretation. Truthfully, there is so much yet to be done in the world of electroreception and frequency interpretation (both brain and radio). The more versersed I become in this field the more I see room for improvement and potential. And as a result, the more able I become to appreciate and admire the free thinkers who strived for this improvement.Â
Next week is presentations so there will not be any readings.
Today I am skipping the intro. Week 5 is midterms so I am still in business mode. I threw my tie over my shoulder like some kind of business looking guy in a McDonaldâs commercial (and yes...yes I am loving it).
This week wasnât typical, there was a lot going on so a lot to talk about. One being the sound walk (read below if youâre interested) the other being the sound demonstration Dr. Weaver presented us. We were all in a room with speakers in each corner. Using a multi-channel recording device, we were able to listen to multi-dimensional audio. This was of course a treat as a sat back and experienced what it must be like to be in the Peruvian rainforest. After the presentation I asked Dr. Weaver a question about something that he had said, that âsound (can) spiral.â This confused me and kinda questioned my idea of sound. I had only thought that sound, just as energy does, moves out. And Dr. Weaver, being the acoustic genius that he is expanded my mind to this possibility: sound, just as water is influenced by the environment. Sound can move past things which influences its continuing direction. But the extent to which this effect is possible may go further than one may think. Wind can carry and toss sound around in ways which can spiral. Echos too have strange properties that enable sound to travel (if you want to read more about echos read my earlier blog entries).
The readings this week didnât spark as much interest as they have before. This could just be me comparing them to class -Â which was choice. From The Sound Book, the chapter I found most interesting was about the sounds made by lighting. Caused by the static friction of clouds rubbing together, lighting doesnât travel in a straight line. If it did, there wouldn't be the characteristic rumbling at the end. The heat needed to create these strikes exceeds 45,000 F and is so pressurized that it results in the shock wave dogs under the bed know and love so well. On that note I will leave.Â
Thank you for reading. Stay tuned next week to see what I can come up with.
This week we were assigned to visit two of four destinations to listen. I choose the Anderson Academic Commons and Evanâs Chapel. We were supposed to do the sound walk Monday but Dr. Weaver didnât trust us walking around with the equipment while it was snowing. Which was a pretty solid play. If I had broken one of those recorders I would probably just drop the class.Â
We were instructed to focus on the onomatopoeia of sounds. Onomatopoeia meaning âthe imitation of sounds.â Since we werenât recording them with technology, we used the oldest recording systems available - ourselves (but birds would probably be better.Â
Anderson Academic Commons (DU Library) - The library, being three stories, had many spots to go and listen. I knew this of course so I wanted to pick a spot that was at least semi unique to the soundscape. To me, this meant listening to the vending machines (there arenât many on campus). Each step in the vending process had its own specific sound, as I will demonstrate. However, the most prevalent sound I heard in my area was the sound of chatter. I was able to focus in on some but others were lost in another voice. It sounded like *Whisp-whisp-whisp-hahah-hel-so do-haha-whisp* Vending machine: pressing the selection buttons *cliche cliche cliche* the vend spiral turning *ehurrrr-ehurrr-ehurrrr* the selected item dropping (usually chips, sound depends on the item) *pfoock, thud* patron opening door and grabbing item *baaduuuhhnn-nn-nn-nn, crrunnch-peeckk*
Evanâs Chapel - The chapel is much smaller than the library. I was only in there with one other person. I noticed a lot more white noise in the chapel than I did in the library for there was no one talking. The white noise was a sort of static affect with the occasional tree blow in the distance (itâs an older building so you can hear the outside near clear *ppshhhh, woosshhhh.* I could also hear the other person in chapel adjust themself in the chair: *vvuuuccc, errhh*
Welcome one, welcome all to yet another installment of my ASEM sound blog. Be sure to smash that heart button or even reblog my post if you enjoy it. So far the only like I have on my page is thanks to some kind of âcheese bot.â Tumblr is a strange world that I do not yet understand. As to why some mad scientist made a bot with the affinity for cheese is beyond me.Â
But what is not beyond me are the readings we were assigned to this week. And this week was a hefty one. We have a total of four passages in three books. And, with all of these readings, I am really beginning to find my taste in what I find to be interesting. Just as that âcheese botâ loves cheese, I love reading about the sound physics. Trevor J. Coxâs The Sound Book covered how sound bounces off of our civil environment. Things like stairs, bridges, and curved ceilings all have the capacity to reflect sound. This can be heard back in the form of an echo. As to why I find this interesting is beyond me. Maybe Iâm just a nerd who likes to think about my claps bouncing off the walls of my bathroom. I like to think âcheese botâ asks themselves the same kind of questions. Looking up at the sky. Wondering why they even like cheese.Â
We also read about American composer Pauline Oliveros in Douglas Kahnâs Earth Sound Earth Signal: Energies and Earth Magnitude in the Arts. Being a fan of electronic music, I held high respects to Pauline. This was a nice introduction into the artists of ecoacoustics. One of our projects is about some of these people. My project will be about John Luther Adams. I do not know much about John -Â as of now. But from my quick google search, the man wears a mean fedora.Â
Be sure to tune in next week, and a new sound walk is coming soon!
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