Immerse yourself in the relaxing sounds of a forest at the other end of the world

The map lists more than 500 sounds from woodlands and forests around the world. Image: The National Forest Company & Wild Rumpus.

At a time when people have never been so confined to their homes, a British project offers you the chance to enfold yourself in the calm, soothing atmosphere of the world’s forests just by closing your eyes. The initiative takes the form of a map of hundreds of sound files from green spaces around the world.

The “Sounds of the Forest” project, which brings together sounds from woodlands and forests around the world, was started by the organizers of the Timber Festival, which takes place every year in England in the heart of the National Forest in the Midlands.

Recorded by professionals and amateurs passionate about nature conservation, these recordings constitute a unique database and a valuable archive at a time when these ecosystems are threatened. The sounds are grouped together on an interactive map that allows you to locate them, listen to them, download them and easily share them on social networks.

The project already comprises more than 500 sounds from five continents. Most of them are short sequences, about a minute each, which can be listened to in a loop. Internet users can also contribute to the project by sending in their own recordings.

These files are available in open source format, which means that everyone is free to download and modify them as they wish. In fact, artists such as Erland Cooper, Hinako Omori and Jason Singh have already signed up to rework some of these sounds by creating music that will be unveiled in the next Timber Festival, which is set to run from July 2 to 4, 2021. CC

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