Honking horns and A Thought of Ecstasycatcalls getting you down? Not to worry, city dwellers — the National Park Foundation is here to help.
The National Park Foundation (NPF) has launched PARKTRACKS, an audio portal that lets visitors play a 12-minute-long track of sounds captured at national parks across the country. In honor of the National Parks Service's 102nd birthday, it's also hosting a pop-up listening event in Seattle on Friday and Saturday. But anyone can turn on, tune in, drop out — with nature — on the website.
SEE ALSO: The best places to stargaze around the world"We hope people will take a moment to pause, listen, and let their imaginations be captivated by the natural and cultural sounds of our national parks," Alanna Sobel, a National Park Foundation representative, told Mashable over email.
There is actually a whole division of the National Park Service that's devoted to capturing the more ephemeral features of nature: The Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division. That NPS department places microphones in national parks for a month at a time, capturing and analyzing audio from the likes of Yellowstone or the Hawaii Volcanoes. The Natural Sounds division has its own catalogue of sounds, organized by park and even animal, in a portal via Colorado State University.
But the track released Friday is more like the radio-ready remix of park sounds. It's a combination of birds chirping and squawking, rivers rushing, thunder, lightning, rain, and even the occasional human chant, captured from multiple parks and edited together into one soothing soundscape. It shows that nature doesn't mean silence — it means life.
"Nature is alive with sound," Sobel said. "People explore nature and parks for a variety of reasons, parks are very personal. Some go in seek of solitude, others go for recreation and movement. Some go to reconnect with our shared heritage, others go to experience a dark night sky. The National Park Foundation’s goal with PARKTRACKS is to bring parks to people through actual natural and cultural sounds."
A recent trip to the Pacific Northwest reminded me of how being in nature, surrounded by soft sound and dappled light, provides a warm feeling of calm, but also vigor, that I'd been missing from my urban life.
Listening to the NPF's track doesn't quite replicate the feeling of tranquil awe that being among trees, rivers, and the open sky provides. But if you shut your eyes and press play, the audio forces you to take a breath. It offers a glimpse at the natural world, in repose, and a reminder of your part in it.
Topics Music Nature
NYT Connections hints and answers for April 26: Tips to solve 'Connections' #685.
Happy Birthday, Sara Teasdale by Sadie Stein
Crystallized Books, and Other News
August by Sadie Stein
Hurricane Laura's impact lingered with nightmarish mosquito swarms
Always Remember by Sadie Stein
Mark Twain Designed His Own Notebooks, and Other News by Sadie Stein
Small Island: An Interview with Nathaniel Philbrick
Amazon Prime Grubhub deal: Save $10 off orders of $20 or more
How to Prepare for the Past by Brian Cullman
Mary Shows Up
On the Map
John Hollander, 1929–2013 by Sadie Stein
On Occasion, I Write Pretty Well
Time to Unite
The Mysterious Book Sculptor of Edinburgh Strikes Again, and Other News by Sadie Stein
20/20 by Sadie Stein
Crystallized Books, and Other News
Asus VivoWatch 6 AERO measures blood pressure and ECG
On the Occasion of Zelda Fitzgerald’s Birthday
Everyone watching the VMAs tweeted about BeyoncéTrump used Twitter to comment on Dwyane Wade's family death and Twitter is not happyAll the dazzling and questionable looks from the 2016 VMA red carpet9 tech gifts you shouldn't buy for anyoneFrank Ocean's 'Blonde' has already been illegally downloaded 750,000 timesApp Store does down, joins the rest of the internetApple's Tim Cook warns regulation is coming for the tech industryThis tiny Oreo record player is the most delicious gift of the seasonDrake took out a billboard for Rihanna because he can't help himselfDriving apps pulled from Google Play Store for installing malwareReport: Snapchat to sell $350 Spectacles 3 by end of the yearNorth Carolina students allowed to use restrooms matching their gender identity, judge rulesNASA's 2020 rover will land in Jezero Crater, a dried ancient lakebedInstagram cracks down on apps that give fake follows and likesIncels.me, a major hub for hate speech and misogyny, suspended by .ME registryClinton aide Huma Abedin splits from Anthony Weiner after latest sexting scandalThere was another mini 'The Office' reunion happening outside of 'SNL'Apple has cut production on iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, report saysCalifornia cities hit with worst air pollution on Earth from wildfiresThis tiny Oreo record player is the most delicious gift of the season NYT mini crossword answers for February 23, 2025 NYT Strands hints, answers for February 20 Best Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro deal: Get them for $125.99 at Amazon AFL 2025 livestream: How to watch Aussie Rules Football for free Best Samsung TV deal: Save $569 on 75 iPhone 16e preorder guide: Price, release date, and carrier deals Webb telescope finds Milky Way black hole never stops strobing light Best coffee machine deal: Save $100 on Breville Barista Express Impress Free Slurpee: How to get free Slurpees on Feb. 21 NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for February 20: Tips to solve Connections #150 Best Garmin vívoactive 5 deal: Save $70 at Best Buy Best laptop deal: Save $300 on the Asus ProArt PZ13 at Best Buy NYT Strands hints, answers for February 23 NYT Connections hints and answers for February 21: Tips to solve 'Connections' #621. Waymo, Zoox, Tesla: Are autonomous vehicles safe? What you need to know Which laptops and smartphones are easiest to repair? See the rankings. Oppo Find N5 is an incredibly thin, yet powerful foldable phone Government plane swoops over fuming volcano, captures vivid footage Best iPhone Case deal: Apple iPhone 15 silicone case for $9.99 NYT Connections hints and answers for February 22: Tips to solve 'Connections' #622.
2.0999s , 10132.609375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【A Thought of Ecstasy】,Steady Information Network