What's that you hear? Create a sound map!

Summer is a good time to get out and listen to the world around you. Taking time to journal and be present in the moment can help us recognize the natural world around us.

An indigo bunting singing. (Photo courtesy of Joe Viola)

Making a sound map can be a great start! 

Materials 

• Paper 

• A writing utensil or utensils such as a pen, pencil, crayons or colored pencils 

• Your ears! 

Instructions 

1. Go outside and find a comfortable spot to sit. 

2. Mark yourself at the center of your paper. This can be a drawing or your name with a circle around it, however you want to represent yourself. 

3. For the next 10 minutes, record every sound you hear on your map and where it is in relation to you. For example, if you hear something behind you, you will draw it behind you. Every sound should have its own symbol. For example, instead of writing I hear the wind in the trees, you will create a symbol that looks like what the wind in the trees sounds like to you.  

4. Once you’ve created a symbol, create a legend in the corner of your map. Write down the symbol and what it represents. 

5. You can include observations like “I heard this call every 30 seconds.” 

6. Be as silent as you can and immerse yourself in the sounds around you. 

A sound map with a legend in the bottom left corner. (Photo by Alyssa Parker)

You can try this activity in different areas and compare sound maps. What does a sound map look like in your yard? Is it similar to one that you create at the park? Or at school? Have fun and happy journaling!