From early morning to late at night, the sounds of nature open our auditory senses to our surrounding world filled with other creatures — if we are listening. Distractions can purge our wonderment at learning what animal is communicating in our shared habitat. The deterrents are mostly from our obliviousness to the natural world and the sounds of its non-human inhabitants.
Such vocalizations are no less meaningful to each species than human speech. Drowning out nature’s tonal expressions is the elevated noise of industrialized human existence. It has become increasingly difficult to find silence even outdoors.
Our affluent society excels at emitting noise, lots of noise. It seems we humans are hardwired to not only dominate and control nature and all other living things but to ensure we blanket our surroundings with as many decibels as possible. Bird songs, mating calls of frogs, the soft patter of rainfall and wind brushing tree limbs are all canceled by an armada of noise-makers — air conditioners, trucks, cars, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, weed whackers, airplanes, barking dogs and loud music.
Human noise extends into the great outdoors. And is there any dwelling in America where quiet prevails? TVs are seemingly continuously blaring, music playing, radios blasting, computers and iPads bleeping, phones ringing, microwaves heating and vacuums operating. Even if there is temporary silence, the sounds of nature are unheard as most people keep windows and doors closed 24/7.