Soothing environmental sounds may be just the thing to help quell pandemic-induced anxiety. Multimedia artists Mark Timmings and Brady Marks present 24 hours of this kind of “slow radio” on Earth Day, April 22. Though not expressly designed for the times of “shelter in place,” when many public parks, beaches and natural spaces are closed to enforce proper social distancing – this is the fourth year of the program – the “Wetland Project” nevertheless offers a sonic respite in “the circadian rhythm of an endangered Saturna Island marsh” in British Columbia.
Twelve stations will carry part or all of the 24-hour program, including the first two US affiliates, KALW in San Francisco and KPOV in Bend, OR. As the organizers note, “the program is ready-made and easily automated by staff working remotely during station lockdowns,” so there’s still time for new stations to come on board. Contact them for more details.
As they describe it,
The beautiful and complex environmental soundscape, featuring birds, frogs, airplanes and more, engages with people in real time as they go about their daily routines. This year, many listeners will likely be confined at home by COVID-19. The immersive quality of the slow radio broadcast promotes heightened awareness of the natural environment, which turns the simple act of listening to the radio into a powerful act of collective protest for climate action.
Tune in on one of the affiliate stations or online.
