2011 Nature Sound Recordists Campout [RCO_2011]
An 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.
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.