2011 Nature Sound Recordists Campout [RCO_2011]

_S2R9561b2An invitation to the Nature Sound Recordists Campout

Wednesday June 1- Sunday June 5, 2011

Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Germfask MI

Contact: Paul Dickinson pd@goshyes.com, or David Michael david.michael@gmail.com

Each year since 2003, a group of ten to twenty people has gathered for the purposes of sharing and recording natural sounds. The group has included sound artists, composers, birders, biologists, naturalists, media educators, filmmakers, news reporters and trackers. All have shared an interest in learning what nature has to give to their ears and the best methods for detecting and capturing these experiences. The primary learning tools have been shared excursions, in-field demonstrations, collective camping and conversation. We have enjoyed the presence of recordists with many years of experience and great intimacy with the natural surroundings as well novices eager to soak-up everything about the techniques and the environment as they can. Everyone has been welcomed and all have left fulfilled.

_SER2629b2For Spring 2011, a group will be gathering at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1935, the Seney NWR is located in the east-central portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, half way between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.  The Refuge encompasses 95,238 acres; the Seney Wilderness Area, which contains the Strangmoor Bog National Natural Landmark, comprising 25,150 acres, or 26 percent of the Refuge.  Located in northern Schoolcraft County, the Refuge is removed from major population centers. A seven and a half-hour drive from Chicago and an eight-hour drive from Minneapolis, the site will be at the peak of the Spring  neotropical bird migration.

The wild land that today is Seney NWR was once heavily logged, burned, ditched, drained, and cultivated.  Despite repeated attempts, the soils and harsh conditions of this country would not provide a hospitable environment for sustained settlement and agriculture. What was viewed as a loss by early 20th century entrepreneurs became a huge gain for the wildlife, natural resources, and the people of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

DSCF0076Contact Paul Dickinson pd@goshyes.com or David Michael david.michael@gmail.com and they will include you in the planning process.

Download Seney NWR map