"Arranging an event at our Library with Andrew was very straightforward. He is organized, considerate, and easy to communicate with, responding to emails and queries quickly and thoughtfully. The presentation itself is very professional and well put together. As an event organizer, it was a real pleasure to work with Andrew and I hope to do so again in the future."
Jess Saunders, Adult Program Co-ordinator, Castlemaine Library

'Hearing our Place'

What can we learn from listening to the natural world?

Nature is rich in acoustic communication; birdsong, frog choruses, animal calls, summer cicadas, plus the micro-vibrational worlds of aquatic life and tiny insects. Tuning in to these sounds takes us on a journey of discovery into what nature is saying, and the living processes of whole ecologies.

Founded on offering practical listening skills, Andrew's presentations feature spectacular recordings and visual analysis to demonstrate how sound can open our understanding of nature around us.

"Listening is such a personal way of being present in nature. Whether we listen to understand or for the simple enjoyment of hearing beauty, the natural soundscape enriches our lives. In listening, we can find new ways of valuing the natural world."

Nature sound recording workshops

In hands on, practical sessions, Andrew explores both the technologies and fieldcraft of nature recording.

There are now so many affordable options for recording natural sounds, and even a mobile phone can achieve quite reasonable results. Andrew will demonstrate different microphone and recording rigs, from inexpensive to top-end equipment, allowing participants to explore what kind of gear may be suitable for their particular purposes.

Fieldcraft is the skill of deploying this gear to achieve rewarding nature recordings; reading the habitat, understanding animal biology and how to work with microphones in the real world of wind, rain (and rodents that love to chew through electrical cables).

Once a recording has been made, Andrew will discuss the dark arts of digital software and techniques to clean up, analysis and archive audio.