What is RAINFOREST LISTENING?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is a sound installation accessed on your mobile phone or tablet through free apps called Recho and Podwalk. This is an augmented reality project that layers rainforest soundscapes in urban environments to inspire ecological engagement. Listeners access the sounds via mobile devices and sculpt their own experience by triggering geolocated soundscapes as they walk through iconic locations across the world.
How does it work?
The soundscapes all have GPS coordinates attached to them so they only play at very specific locations. Your phone or mobile devices then uses your GPS (like google maps) to find and play the sound.
Do I need to use headphones?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is better experienced wearing headphones so it feels more immersive. However, you can listen through your phone or tablet speaker.
When can I listen to RAINFOREST LISTENING?
If you are at one of our active locations, RAINFOREST LISTENING is turned on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, meaning you could come and listen early in the morning or late at night. If you would like to join a sound walk or app demo, use the hashtag #RainforestListening on social media platforms to connect with our team.
I am at the location, where does RAINFOREST LISTENING start?
The soundscapes are planted throughout urban areas, you can listen to the sounds anywhere near these locations and in any order. You are composing your own experience and sculpting your own soundscape. Your phone will act as a sonic compass guiding you towards the sounds.
If I donate to RAINFOREST LISTENING, where does the money go?
Your donations go directly to Rainforest Partnership, an international NGO founded with a mission to protect tropical rainforests by partnering with people at global and local levels to create lasting solutions to deforestation. Rainforest Partnership directly supports rainforest communities, your donations will help protect the rainforest and support the Rainforest Partnership mission to reduce global deforestation by 5% in 2020.
Why are you using sound?
It has become increasingly clear that we rapidly need new ways to communicate the current state of our environment. Fortunately most of the world now agrees climate change is one of the most critical issues we are facing. Yet there has been limited success in inspiring people to make significant changes. The Paris Agreement achieved at COP21 was just the first step in what needs to be a global cultural shift in how people think and act. In our visually dominant society, listening to the state of the environment can reconnect us with nature. Sound can transport us to a place and time and elicit an empathetic response that can be extremely powerful in climate action. We need to inspire people to change deeply ingrained unsustainable lifestyles and make conscious choices. Positive and motivating experiences are much more productive than overwhelming and depressing climate graphs.
Rainforest Listening is designed to call attention to rainforests and inspire communities across the world to take action. Nearly 4,500 acres of rainforests are lost every hour from illegal logging, mining, agriculture, forest fires and drilling for oil and gas. At this rate we won’t have any tropical rainforests in 100 years. We need to bring attention to these incredible ecosystems and Rainforest Listening allows you to experience the rainforest in urban environments. In the words of Jane Goodall “Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right”
How long does it take to experience the installation?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is a nonlinear experience, you can listen for two minutes or two hours. The soundscapes change every day and you are welcome to experience the installation in sections or return to different locations over the duration of the exhibition or festival. You can start, stop or repeat the soundscape by tapping the middle button on the app.
How do I listen to RAINFOREST LISTENING on my smart phone?
Step 1. Download the free app Recho to your iphone, ipad or android phone and connect your headphones.
Step 2. Walk towards the first sound, your phone will act as a compass and guide you through RAINFOREST LISTENING
Step 4. When you approach the first sound it will play automatically, tap the sound once to open it.
Step 5. Wait for 3-5 seconds (to load) and stop to listen to the soundscape.
How do I set up a Recho User Account?
To use Recho you need a user account, it’s very easy to set up (only takes 10 seconds once the app is downloaded). If you use Facebook or Twitter, you can login in using your social network. If not, you can use your email and pick a password. Please note two things with your user account:
1. Your Recho user name can be anything, but you can’t have any spaces in your name
2. If you use your email to log in, you need to confirm your email address before you can use Recho
Does Recho access any of my personal information if I use twitter or Facebook?
No, Recho only accesses your social media account to log in, it will not access any personal information.
Will you use my email address or social media for anything else?
No. Your social media or email address is private and just for your user account, nobody else will have access to this information.
How much data will RAINFOREST LISTENING use on my phone?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is downloading and streaming small sound files to your phone as you walk, it will use data based on the duration you listen, but no more than any other app such as Facebook.
Can I use RAINFOREST LISTENING on wifi?
Yes, you can experience the sounds on free wifi networks. However you will need access to mobile data to experience locations outside of wifi hotspots.
Can I add sounds to RAINFOREST LISTENING?
Yes, you can record directly into the app at any point in the installation. Please note we review and curate material that has been recorded on location and your sound may not be included in the installation. Inappropriate content will be deleted immediately. We encourage you to respond with comments about the rainforest, why is it important to protect? What do you love about the rainforest?
Why do the RAINFOREST LISTENING sounds move?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is built inside the app Recho, which uses your GPS coordinates to play sound that is locked to specific locations. The app works in a similar way to google maps, using your location to send you information. If you are in an area with bad GPS coverage, or your phone is not picking up GPS the sounds will move and become difficult to play.
Where did all the sounds come from?
All the sounds featured in RAINFOREST LISTENING have been composed, recorded and produced by Leah Barclay unless otherwise stated within the app. Leah Barclay is the creator of RAINFOREST LISTENING and has been recording the sounds of global rainforests for over a decade. This project is part of ongoing research into the value of mobile technologies in responding to climate change and the future possibilities of augmented reality immersive sound. Many of the sounds from the Amazon Rainforest were recorded by Leah Barclay in 2011 during the Mamori Sound Project, a 2-week residency for professional sound artists and composers in the middle of the Brazilian Amazon directed by Francisco López, internationally recognized as one of the major figures of the sound art and experimental music scene.
The app says some sounds were recorded with a hydrophone, what is a hydrophone?
A hydrophone is a underwater microphone used to record aquatic soundscapes. Hydrophones can also be used to monitor river health through sound. All of the aquatic sounds featured in RAINFOREST LISTENING were recorded with a hydrophone.
Where do I download the app?
You need to download the free app from the app store by searching ‘Recho’. It is available for iOS and android.
How do I find out more information about the sounds?
You can use the contact form on this website for more information or please email info (@) leahbarclay.com if you have specific technical questions.
Where did the voices come from?
The RAINFOREST LISTENING voices have been recorded at various events throughout 2015 and 2016 including SXSW Eco and COP21 in Paris. All voices are used with permission and credited within the app.
There is no sound playing from my phone?
Make sure your phone isn’t muted and make sure the volume is turned up.
There is still no sound?
Please close down any applications running in the background (especially sound applications such as itunes or spotify) and restart Recho . If this still doesn’t work, please restart your phone.
The sounds don’t play when I walk close to them?
Each soundscape will take 3-5 seconds to download once you tap it to open it. It might take slightly longer if your phone network is slower in this area. Please be patient with the sounds. Close the app and reopen if your phone network is having problems.
Why can’t I see any sounds when I launch the app?
When you first launch the app, the sounds could take a few minutes to download in rare circumstances. It is best to leave the app open and wait patiently till the sounds will appear.
How do I close the sound after it has played?
You can click anywhere outside the white ring to return to the compass and move towards the next sound.
How do I log out of Recho?
Click the logo at the bottom of the screen, click options on the top right and sign out bottom left.
Can I use Recho to listen in other places?
Yes! You can use Recho anywhere in the world!
I want to interview the RAINFOREST LISTENING team, who do I contact?
Please use the contact page on this website.
I don’t understand what the green rings are in Recho?
The Recho app acts as a compass to guide you towards the sounds of RIVER LISTENING. The green rings are the rainforest sounds. The sounds must be inside the white ring to play. Simply walk towards the sound till it is inside the white ring. Tap the sound once and it will play automatically in 3-5 seconds. Opening the sound also gives you access to more information. To close the sound click anywhere outside the ring to return to your compass and visit the next sound.
Can I host a Rainforest Listening installation at my event?
Yes! Please contact our team via the contact page for more information.
When did Rainforest Listening Launch?
Rainforest Listening launched during Climate Week 2015 in Times Square, New York City on September 24th, 2015. The research and development for this project began in 2010 through Leah Barclay’s research with geo-located sound walks. The project draws inspiration from the work of American internet pioneers Nora Farrell and the late William Duckworth and their innovative project Sonic Babylon. Leah Barclay collaborated with Sonic Babylon in 2009 to assist in the creative development of geo-tagged sound gardens and has been working with similar technology since. Rainforest Listening was featured as a major project for COP21 in Paris and continues to grow across Paris. The Eiffel Tower and surrounding parklands were transformed into an immersive sonic experience layering the four distinct layers of tropical rainforest vegetation over each observatory platform of the Eiffel Tower in December 2015.
Why did you make RAINFOREST LISTENING?
RAINFOREST LISTENING was created specifically as an engagement tool for Rainforest Partnership, an international NGO founded with a mission to protect tropical rainforests by partnering with people at global and local levels to create lasting solutions to deforestation. By connecting this installation directly to a conservation organization, we are exploring ways of translating this awareness into direct action. Listeners can donate directly to Amazon communities while walking through the installation.
So RAINFOREST LISTENING is a public artwork?
Yes, in many ways. But RAINFOREST LISTENING is not just an artwork, but a long-term research project that will see recording devices and live streaming networks installed in remote rainforests throughout the world. In the coming years, we hope you will be able to walk through international landmarks, from London Bridge to the Sydney Opera House, and listen to the changing soundscapes of the rainforest.
I am a sound artist / activist / music producer / field recordist, can I get involved?
Yes! Please use our contact page and let us know how you would like to be involved.
I am a student, is it possible do a project or internship with RAINFOREST LISTENING?
Yes! Please use our contact page and let us know what you are studying and how you would like to work with RAINFOREST LISTENING.
Are their scientific components to RAINFOREST LISTENING?
Yes, while RAINFOREST LISTENING is an artwork, the technology and approach also has scientific implications. Leah Barclay is actively involved in the field of acoustic ecology, bioacoustics and rapidly evolving fields of biology used to record environmental patterns and changes through sound. In our current state of environmental crisis, biodiversity assessment is critical to understanding the rapid ecological changes taking place across the globe. In the last ten years, there has been a strong emergence of non-invasive monitoring involving scientific auditory recordings of the environment. As the international interest in the emerging auditory fields of bioacoustics and acoustic ecology continues to expand, there are clear opportunities to harness virtual technologies to develop accessible community engagement around the creative and scientific possibilities of listening to the environment. RAINFOREST LISTENING is part of a collection of research projects supported by Griffith University in Australia exploring the art and science of acoustic ecology.
I have a question not answered here?
Great! Please use our contact page and we would be happy to answer your questions.
RAINFOREST LISTENING is a sound installation accessed on your mobile phone or tablet through free apps called Recho and Podwalk. This is an augmented reality project that layers rainforest soundscapes in urban environments to inspire ecological engagement. Listeners access the sounds via mobile devices and sculpt their own experience by triggering geolocated soundscapes as they walk through iconic locations across the world.
How does it work?
The soundscapes all have GPS coordinates attached to them so they only play at very specific locations. Your phone or mobile devices then uses your GPS (like google maps) to find and play the sound.
Do I need to use headphones?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is better experienced wearing headphones so it feels more immersive. However, you can listen through your phone or tablet speaker.
When can I listen to RAINFOREST LISTENING?
If you are at one of our active locations, RAINFOREST LISTENING is turned on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, meaning you could come and listen early in the morning or late at night. If you would like to join a sound walk or app demo, use the hashtag #RainforestListening on social media platforms to connect with our team.
I am at the location, where does RAINFOREST LISTENING start?
The soundscapes are planted throughout urban areas, you can listen to the sounds anywhere near these locations and in any order. You are composing your own experience and sculpting your own soundscape. Your phone will act as a sonic compass guiding you towards the sounds.
If I donate to RAINFOREST LISTENING, where does the money go?
Your donations go directly to Rainforest Partnership, an international NGO founded with a mission to protect tropical rainforests by partnering with people at global and local levels to create lasting solutions to deforestation. Rainforest Partnership directly supports rainforest communities, your donations will help protect the rainforest and support the Rainforest Partnership mission to reduce global deforestation by 5% in 2020.
Why are you using sound?
It has become increasingly clear that we rapidly need new ways to communicate the current state of our environment. Fortunately most of the world now agrees climate change is one of the most critical issues we are facing. Yet there has been limited success in inspiring people to make significant changes. The Paris Agreement achieved at COP21 was just the first step in what needs to be a global cultural shift in how people think and act. In our visually dominant society, listening to the state of the environment can reconnect us with nature. Sound can transport us to a place and time and elicit an empathetic response that can be extremely powerful in climate action. We need to inspire people to change deeply ingrained unsustainable lifestyles and make conscious choices. Positive and motivating experiences are much more productive than overwhelming and depressing climate graphs.
Rainforest Listening is designed to call attention to rainforests and inspire communities across the world to take action. Nearly 4,500 acres of rainforests are lost every hour from illegal logging, mining, agriculture, forest fires and drilling for oil and gas. At this rate we won’t have any tropical rainforests in 100 years. We need to bring attention to these incredible ecosystems and Rainforest Listening allows you to experience the rainforest in urban environments. In the words of Jane Goodall “Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right”
How long does it take to experience the installation?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is a nonlinear experience, you can listen for two minutes or two hours. The soundscapes change every day and you are welcome to experience the installation in sections or return to different locations over the duration of the exhibition or festival. You can start, stop or repeat the soundscape by tapping the middle button on the app.
How do I listen to RAINFOREST LISTENING on my smart phone?
Step 1. Download the free app Recho to your iphone, ipad or android phone and connect your headphones.
Step 2. Walk towards the first sound, your phone will act as a compass and guide you through RAINFOREST LISTENING
Step 4. When you approach the first sound it will play automatically, tap the sound once to open it.
Step 5. Wait for 3-5 seconds (to load) and stop to listen to the soundscape.
How do I set up a Recho User Account?
To use Recho you need a user account, it’s very easy to set up (only takes 10 seconds once the app is downloaded). If you use Facebook or Twitter, you can login in using your social network. If not, you can use your email and pick a password. Please note two things with your user account:
1. Your Recho user name can be anything, but you can’t have any spaces in your name
2. If you use your email to log in, you need to confirm your email address before you can use Recho
Does Recho access any of my personal information if I use twitter or Facebook?
No, Recho only accesses your social media account to log in, it will not access any personal information.
Will you use my email address or social media for anything else?
No. Your social media or email address is private and just for your user account, nobody else will have access to this information.
How much data will RAINFOREST LISTENING use on my phone?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is downloading and streaming small sound files to your phone as you walk, it will use data based on the duration you listen, but no more than any other app such as Facebook.
Can I use RAINFOREST LISTENING on wifi?
Yes, you can experience the sounds on free wifi networks. However you will need access to mobile data to experience locations outside of wifi hotspots.
Can I add sounds to RAINFOREST LISTENING?
Yes, you can record directly into the app at any point in the installation. Please note we review and curate material that has been recorded on location and your sound may not be included in the installation. Inappropriate content will be deleted immediately. We encourage you to respond with comments about the rainforest, why is it important to protect? What do you love about the rainforest?
Why do the RAINFOREST LISTENING sounds move?
RAINFOREST LISTENING is built inside the app Recho, which uses your GPS coordinates to play sound that is locked to specific locations. The app works in a similar way to google maps, using your location to send you information. If you are in an area with bad GPS coverage, or your phone is not picking up GPS the sounds will move and become difficult to play.
Where did all the sounds come from?
All the sounds featured in RAINFOREST LISTENING have been composed, recorded and produced by Leah Barclay unless otherwise stated within the app. Leah Barclay is the creator of RAINFOREST LISTENING and has been recording the sounds of global rainforests for over a decade. This project is part of ongoing research into the value of mobile technologies in responding to climate change and the future possibilities of augmented reality immersive sound. Many of the sounds from the Amazon Rainforest were recorded by Leah Barclay in 2011 during the Mamori Sound Project, a 2-week residency for professional sound artists and composers in the middle of the Brazilian Amazon directed by Francisco López, internationally recognized as one of the major figures of the sound art and experimental music scene.
The app says some sounds were recorded with a hydrophone, what is a hydrophone?
A hydrophone is a underwater microphone used to record aquatic soundscapes. Hydrophones can also be used to monitor river health through sound. All of the aquatic sounds featured in RAINFOREST LISTENING were recorded with a hydrophone.
Where do I download the app?
You need to download the free app from the app store by searching ‘Recho’. It is available for iOS and android.
How do I find out more information about the sounds?
You can use the contact form on this website for more information or please email info (@) leahbarclay.com if you have specific technical questions.
Where did the voices come from?
The RAINFOREST LISTENING voices have been recorded at various events throughout 2015 and 2016 including SXSW Eco and COP21 in Paris. All voices are used with permission and credited within the app.
There is no sound playing from my phone?
Make sure your phone isn’t muted and make sure the volume is turned up.
There is still no sound?
Please close down any applications running in the background (especially sound applications such as itunes or spotify) and restart Recho . If this still doesn’t work, please restart your phone.
The sounds don’t play when I walk close to them?
Each soundscape will take 3-5 seconds to download once you tap it to open it. It might take slightly longer if your phone network is slower in this area. Please be patient with the sounds. Close the app and reopen if your phone network is having problems.
Why can’t I see any sounds when I launch the app?
When you first launch the app, the sounds could take a few minutes to download in rare circumstances. It is best to leave the app open and wait patiently till the sounds will appear.
How do I close the sound after it has played?
You can click anywhere outside the white ring to return to the compass and move towards the next sound.
How do I log out of Recho?
Click the logo at the bottom of the screen, click options on the top right and sign out bottom left.
Can I use Recho to listen in other places?
Yes! You can use Recho anywhere in the world!
I want to interview the RAINFOREST LISTENING team, who do I contact?
Please use the contact page on this website.
I don’t understand what the green rings are in Recho?
The Recho app acts as a compass to guide you towards the sounds of RIVER LISTENING. The green rings are the rainforest sounds. The sounds must be inside the white ring to play. Simply walk towards the sound till it is inside the white ring. Tap the sound once and it will play automatically in 3-5 seconds. Opening the sound also gives you access to more information. To close the sound click anywhere outside the ring to return to your compass and visit the next sound.
Can I host a Rainforest Listening installation at my event?
Yes! Please contact our team via the contact page for more information.
When did Rainforest Listening Launch?
Rainforest Listening launched during Climate Week 2015 in Times Square, New York City on September 24th, 2015. The research and development for this project began in 2010 through Leah Barclay’s research with geo-located sound walks. The project draws inspiration from the work of American internet pioneers Nora Farrell and the late William Duckworth and their innovative project Sonic Babylon. Leah Barclay collaborated with Sonic Babylon in 2009 to assist in the creative development of geo-tagged sound gardens and has been working with similar technology since. Rainforest Listening was featured as a major project for COP21 in Paris and continues to grow across Paris. The Eiffel Tower and surrounding parklands were transformed into an immersive sonic experience layering the four distinct layers of tropical rainforest vegetation over each observatory platform of the Eiffel Tower in December 2015.
Why did you make RAINFOREST LISTENING?
RAINFOREST LISTENING was created specifically as an engagement tool for Rainforest Partnership, an international NGO founded with a mission to protect tropical rainforests by partnering with people at global and local levels to create lasting solutions to deforestation. By connecting this installation directly to a conservation organization, we are exploring ways of translating this awareness into direct action. Listeners can donate directly to Amazon communities while walking through the installation.
So RAINFOREST LISTENING is a public artwork?
Yes, in many ways. But RAINFOREST LISTENING is not just an artwork, but a long-term research project that will see recording devices and live streaming networks installed in remote rainforests throughout the world. In the coming years, we hope you will be able to walk through international landmarks, from London Bridge to the Sydney Opera House, and listen to the changing soundscapes of the rainforest.
I am a sound artist / activist / music producer / field recordist, can I get involved?
Yes! Please use our contact page and let us know how you would like to be involved.
I am a student, is it possible do a project or internship with RAINFOREST LISTENING?
Yes! Please use our contact page and let us know what you are studying and how you would like to work with RAINFOREST LISTENING.
Are their scientific components to RAINFOREST LISTENING?
Yes, while RAINFOREST LISTENING is an artwork, the technology and approach also has scientific implications. Leah Barclay is actively involved in the field of acoustic ecology, bioacoustics and rapidly evolving fields of biology used to record environmental patterns and changes through sound. In our current state of environmental crisis, biodiversity assessment is critical to understanding the rapid ecological changes taking place across the globe. In the last ten years, there has been a strong emergence of non-invasive monitoring involving scientific auditory recordings of the environment. As the international interest in the emerging auditory fields of bioacoustics and acoustic ecology continues to expand, there are clear opportunities to harness virtual technologies to develop accessible community engagement around the creative and scientific possibilities of listening to the environment. RAINFOREST LISTENING is part of a collection of research projects supported by Griffith University in Australia exploring the art and science of acoustic ecology.
I have a question not answered here?
Great! Please use our contact page and we would be happy to answer your questions.
