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One of the silver linings of the pandemic is that many of us have developed an even greater appreciation for escaping into nature. But as the world reopens and the volume increases, traffic noise and aircraft engine noise are becoming more audible than ever. Some days it may be difficult to remember the “Great Quiet” of 2020. Scientists have determined that the period of calm caused by Earth’s earthquakes, slowed by the coronavirus, is the longest in recorded history.
So how can we move into the post-pandemic era and enjoy the peace and tranquility we promised we would never take for granted again?
Gordon Hempton, known as the soundtracker, has some ideas. Hempton is an acoustic ecologist who has spent the past 40 years identifying and preserving natural soundscapes around the world, leading a nonprofit volunteer organization with a mission to make silence accessible to all people on a daily basis. Co-founded Quiet Parks International (QPI). “Quiet has been an unexpected gift of the pandemic,” he says. With several destinations in the United States currently being considered for Wilderness Quiet Park designation, a pilgrimage to a tranquil spot like this is a great solution to what’s bothering you in these increasingly noisy times. It may just be a trick.
Similar to the International Dark Sky Association’s efforts to protect and preserve the night sky from light pollution, quiet park status helps protect places with little noise pollution. This status helps the community manage tranquility. This includes additional land use, development, and aviation noise prevention. Just as it is difficult to find a night sky free of light pollution, silence is also nearly extinct, with 97% of the U.S. population exposed to noise pollution from airplanes and highway traffic.
Quiet Parks status is granted through a multi-level process. First, light pollution, transportation routes, and noisy land uses (such as logging, hydropower lines, and residential and commercial development) are evaluated. Then consult with local or federal land managers. Finally, the QPI team will visit the site and collect audio recordings. QPI hopes that by achieving the coveted tranquil park status, it will encourage participation from grassroots communities, local governments, land management agencies, tribal governments, and others to protect tranquility.
“If you preserve it quietly, everything else will be preserved,” Hempton likes to say. He’s right. Science shows that quiet time improves cognitive ability and creativity, reduces stress, and helps you live longer. And tranquility is not only an important natural resource for humans. Wildlife requires a pure acoustic environment for communication.
In 2019, QPI awarded the first Quiet Park Award to the Zabarro River in Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest, home to the Cojuan people. Since then, he has established nearly 300 of his quiet places around the world, including Quiet Trails and Taiwan’s first Urban Quiet Park.
Hempton and the QPI team are working to evaluate the following quiet places in the United States and preserve these destinations as rare places where you can hear birdsong.
Haleakala National Park, Hawaii
Hempton says it’s not just the quietest place in America, it’s “the quietest place on Earth.” (He is featured in his PBS documentary of the same name.) The park has the lowest decibels and least noise pollution of any location Hempton has recorded. Given Haleakala Crater’s high elevation (10,023 feet) and the fact that air traffic arriving on Maui occurs below the volcano’s rim, in addition to the volcanic ash within the crater absorbing sound waves, the park Almost no sound penetrates inside. What will you hear? The wind blowing through the volcanic formations is very faint and can be heard like a whistle or the occasional nene (Hawaiian goose). “Hawaii’s culture is rich in sound and has a silent history as the birthplace of creativity,” says Hempton. “Hawaii has over 100 words to describe different types of wind.”
Dense fog can occur at any time, so head down to the crater for natural tranquility, advises Hempton, and wear warm clothing and bring water and a headlamp. An added perk of visiting this park: The pristine starry sky seen from the top of Haleakala Crater is spectacular.
Hoh Rainforest, Washington
(Photo: Courtesy of Quiet Parks International) Audio clip: Hoh Rainforest Birds https://www.outsideonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/HohRainforestBirds.mp3
Mr. Hempton’s exploration of tranquility began in 2005 with his “Square Inch of Silence” project. For this project, we determined that the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park, home to the tallest forest on Earth, is perhaps the most tranquil place in the country. Moss has sound absorbing properties. He also discovered unique acoustics, including the “whistle-like trumpet sound of the Roosevelt elk.” Unfortunately, the U.S. military controls air traffic over the park, which currently prevents it from being recognized as an official quiet park.
Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas
“By all accounts, this may be the quietest place in America with the least noise pollution,” Hempton said. He has two reasons. One is located on the Mexico-US border, an area with low air traffic and a dry climate with low resilience, so when noise (including noise pollution) occurs, it quickly dissipates and reduces clarity. decreases.
“The Big Bend Valley area is a magical place to listen to music. These locations are in the shade for most of the day, providing particularly good echo and an amazing sense of space.” says Hempton.
American Prairie Preserve, Montana
(Photo: Courtesy of Quiet Parks International) Audio clip: Coyotes and Birds at Dawn on the American Prairie https://www.outsideonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AmericanPrairie_DawnCoyotesBirds.mp3
The goal of this collaboratively managed wildlife refuge is to create the largest nature preserve in the continental United States, encompassing approximately 3.2 million acres of land. It’s also home to some of Hempton’s favorite soundscapes. It’s a mix of prairie winds and the dawn chorus of spring grouse singing and dancing over the lake. Hempton advises heading out well before sunrise to catch males as they move to attract mates. With little air traffic intrusion, you might even be able to hear bison grunting from miles away.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
(Photo: Courtesy: Quiet Parks International)
“Dear BWCA [was] “We were first protected from aviation noise when Wilderness Watch took the Air Force to court and effectively won,” Hempton says. This vast wilderness on the Canada-U.S. border occupies more than one million acres of his protected land, which is off-limits to military aircraft, other motorized vehicles, and ships. It is the only conservation area in the country with an airspace reservation that prohibits flights below 4,000 feet. Even the lakes have very little motor noise, and only 16 of the 1,100 lakes allow motorized watercraft. You have to paddle here. Hempton says this is a true wilderness, with songbirds captivating audiences during the day, frogs and toads croaking at night, not to mention the howling wolves and the echoing call of the iconic loon. added.
Glacier National Park, Montana
(Photo: Courtesy of Quiet Parks International) Audio clip: Glacier Blizzard (first clip). Lake Kintla https://www.outsideonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Glacier-NP-Kintla-Lake-waking-up.mp3 https://www.outsideonline.com/wp-content/uploads /2022/04/GlacierSnowStorm.mp3
At more than 1 million acres, this glacier-carved national park is home to the largest remaining intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states. Because it’s on the Canadian border, there’s less air traffic, Hempton said. “The beautiful, deep coniferous forests and alpine lakes are all special opportunities to hear nature’s concert hall,” he says. He also suggests tuning his ears to hear the “musical notes” on the stones in the riverbed.
A trip to a quiet park
If you need a guide to finding peace and quiet, new mindful adventure company Recal has partnered with QPI to offer trips to Quiet Park.
“In today’s modern world, there is so much noise all around us. But potentially even more problematic is that our minds often tune into that level of noise. It’s dealing with a seemingly constant flow of news, social media, and work,” says Recal founder Anthony Lorubio. L’Orubio, a three-time CEO, launched his latest venture after suffering from work-related burnout. Recal’s Quiet Park series immerses travelers deep into nature, free from human noise, reducing stress and fatigue. Lorubio believes that stress and fatigue are becoming increasingly problematic in our grind culture. Coupled with pandemic fatigue, he says, we need to break out of the nest of constantly intertwined home and work lives, becoming even more disconnected from personal interactions and nature.
“We believe there is a link between increasing rates of burnout and humans’ disconnection from nature, especially true, pure tranquility,” Lorubio says.
Recal is offering tours in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Glacier National Park as part of its new Quiet Park series. On a Boundary Waters adventure, you can canoe, portage, camp, take a quiet hike to the soundscape of nature, participate in a breathwork session, or enjoy a quiet sensory-focused meal. On a trip to Glacier, you can ride an electric bike on the car-free Going-to-the-Sun Road, quietly gaze at the stars (Glacier is also a designated Dark Sky Park), and find peace of mind. Activities range from a wide variety of ways to practicing mindfulness.
All Recal guides are trained by the QPI team on how to listen while immersing yourself in a quiet environment. Matthew Mikkelsen, executive director of QPI’s Wilderness Quiet Parks, audio engineer and recorder, offers the following tips: Don’t try to understand or name the sounds. “For some people, naming objects is almost a distraction because it takes you out of the headspace of listening. Really listening is about responding to the information you receive. It means not placing judgments, priorities, or biases.” Just let the sound surround you.
