Video
Sounds of the Everglades
Descriptive Transcript
Description Narrator: National Park Service logo.
A ranger stands in water with tall pine trees in the background.
Ranger Dylann: Hi, I'm Ranger Dylann, and we're in Everglades National Park. When people explore the Everglades, sometimes they're so focused on the things that they see that they forget to explore with their other senses. Today, let's explore the soundscape of the Everglades, and let's start here in the Sawgrass Prairie, an open and sunny, wet habitat.
Description Narrator: Sounds of the Everglades.
Ranger Dylann: Let's be as quiet as we can and listen closely to hear what makes sound in a Sawgrass Prairie.
In the Sawgrass Prairie, mosquitoes buzz around me, wind rustles through the blades of grass. We can hear birds wade through the water as they search for fish.
I wonder if the soundscape changes as we explore different habitats. Let's find out.
Now we're in a hardwood hammock. A hardwood hammock is a higher and drier habitat where bigger trees come together overhead in a dense canopy. In the hardwood hammock branches squeak against one another as the wind moves over the canopy, songbirds sing to one another from their refuge among the leaves. Do you think it might sound any different after dark? Let's find out.
Description Narrator: Ranger Dylann snaps her fingers, the scene changes to the hardwood hammock at night under a half moon.
Ranger Dylann: The birds we heard earlier are all asleep. Instead, the sounds of crickets and barred owls fill the canopy.
It feels so peaceful and calming to listen to the sounds of nature. But I've heard people say that nature is quiet. It is definitely not. Instead, the animals, the plants, the wind, and even the water are making sounds all around us.
But there's one thing I haven't heard yet, people. National Parks, in addition to protecting the wildlife, the ecosystems, and the history, also protect the soundscapes of these amazing places.
Description Narrator: Footage of a suburban neighborhood and city.
Ranger Dylann: Let's close our eyes and imagine what we might hear if we spent a quiet moment listening in our neighborhood or outside our school.
Depending upon where you live, you might hear traffic, or maybe construction, or maybe even a neighbor's barking dog. But I suspect that if you listen closely, you might also hear some of what felt so peaceful in the Everglades.
The next time you and your family go for a walk or play outside, explore the soundscape of your neighborhood. If you pay close attention, you might be able to find some of the Everglades soundscape around you. And remember Everglades National Park and its soundscape belongs to you and is waiting for you to come and explore it.
Description Narrator: Everglades Environmental Education Program logo.
Description
Explore the soundscapes of Everglades National Park.
Duration
3 minutes, 25 seconds
Copyright and Usage Info