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Sound Escapes

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BirdNote Presents: Sound Escapes artwork with various landscapes emerging from a pair of headphones, each with many birds

Season 2

For those of us sheltering in place, it can feel like the walls are closing in. But our host Gordon Hempton's work as an acoustic ecologist can teach us something vitally important about transcending troubling times: sound can set us free. All we need to do is listen.

In these eight episodes, you'll hear soundscapes from the wildest places on the planet — personally selected by Gordon from his thousands of hours of recordings.

"These sound portraits are really about my love for the planet, and I hope to transfer to you that same feeling of reverence," says Gordon. "Isn't it special to be alive?"

Grab your headphones, relax, and let's listen...

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A hiker walks down a trail in the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park.

Songs of Spring

Travel to Olympic National Park in Washington State as the sounds of spring — including the song of the Varied Thrush — emerge after a long, quiet winter.

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Canoeing on the Zabalo River in Ecuador

Amazon Awakenings

Discover the tranquility of Zabalo Wilderness Quiet Park in Ecuador and learn why Gordon describes it as "a living Eden." 

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Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park

John Muir’s Yosemite

Walk in the footsteps of John Muir as you follow the “water music” of Merced River in Yosemite National Park. 

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Sunrise in the Kalahari Desert

Kalahari Desert

Breathe in the sonic beauty of South Africa’s Kalahari Desert as the sun rises over the savannahs.

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A view of Methow Valley, near Pipestone Canyon

Pipestone Canyon

Immerse yourself in Eastern Washington’s Pipestone Canyon, and hear waves of echos upon echos.

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A canoe at Voyageurs National Park

Song of the Paddle

Paddle your canoe through the Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. With each stroke, you'll experience wildlife awakening in spring.

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A clear stream in a forest

Mark Twain's Limpid Brook

Journey to rural Missouri, where Mark Twain would wade in the pools of a “limpid brook” as a child.

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A river running through a forest with a mountain in the background

Our Solar-Powered Jukebox

Take a whirlwind tour of nearly every habitat on Earth in our special season finale.

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Support for Sound Escapes comes from Jim and Birte Falconer of Seattle.

Sound Escapes is produced by Mark Bramhill and John Kessler. Ashley Ahearn is our editor. Ellen Blackstone is our associate editor. Our communications team includes Ellen Blackstone, Shelly Ellison, and Jason McCue, with technical oversight from Katie Meyer. Jia-yi Liu created the Sound Escapes illustration. Sallie Bodie is our executive producer and BirdNote's executive director.

Sound Escapes banner

Season 1

Over his long career, Gordon Hempton has mastered the art of truly listening. He’s known as the Sound Tracker. Some people call him an acoustic ecologist. His recordings and books have made him an international expert on the beauty and importance of undisturbed, natural soundscapes — and the ways human beings have changed them. 

Now, Gordon Hempton is losing his hearing. But with that loss has come an intense urgency to share his life’s work — and his passion — with as many people as are willing to listen. 

So, Gordon and BirdNote have teamed up to bring you a truly unique audio experience. Over the seven episodes of this podcast, we’ll be immersed in soundscapes that Gordon hand-picked from some of the most wild, beautiful and sound-rich places he’s visited. 

And, he’ll give us a crash course in the art of truly listening — something that he says is a dying art, constantly under threat in our noisy, modern lives.

Throughout this podcast, you’ll hear soundscapes that will immerse you in incredible places and help you become a better listener.

Let's start listening...

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Gordon Hempton in the field

Relearn the Art of Listening

For our first lesson in listening, Gordon Hempton shares the story of how he became a deep listener, what sound means to him — and how his world is changing.

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Coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i

The Song of the Big Island

Our first destination in a rainforest on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

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A bison on the grasslands of Saskatchewan

The Auditory Horizon

Today we head to the grasslands of Saskatchewan to hear a prairie dawn chorus — complete with coyotes.

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Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

Land Between the Lakes

Gordon takes us to the Land Between the Lakes in Tennessee.

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Sunrise on the Mississippi

Riot of Music

We’re off to the banks of the Mississippi River in Arkansas to hear so many birds that Mark Twain called the experience “a jubilant riot of music.”

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The Methow Valley in eastern Washington state

Cold Lake Amphitheater

We head to a remote lake in Eastern Washington for a perfect 

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A boat on the Zabalo River in Ecuador

Nightfall on the Zabalo

We end our journey in Ecuador, with some amazing sounds Gordon recorded along the Zabalo River.

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Support for Sound Escapes comes from Jim and Birte Falconer of Seattle, Idie Ulsh, and the Horizons Foundation.

Sound Escapes was edited by Jason Saul and written by Ashley Ahearn and Mark Bramhill. Sound design by John Kessler and Laura Giannone. Ellen Blackstone helped with editing and visuals. Social media and marketing help from Shelly Ellison and Liz Felix, and technical oversight from Katie Meyer. Dionne Grayson created the Sound Escapes logo, and Bob Sundstrom and Paul Greenfield prepared our bird lists. Kate Godman was BirdNote's development director at the time of production, and our executive director is Sallie Bodie. Sound Escapes lead image © Randy Roberts. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it.

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