Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / Western Soundscape

Seismic Communication 6:22 Jeff Rice

Seismic communications are the sound signals animals send each other by making things vibrate -- the ground, twigs or leaves. Elephants do it, 200K species of insects do it, and right now your lawn is a seismic symphony.

Broadcast: Jun 20 2007 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Western Soundscape Subjects: Science, Environment

Moth Music 3:31 Jeff Rice

The eerily beautiful music of moth wings. A tale of bat-detectors, beehive destruction and the intersection of insect and synthesizer. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jun 11 2007 on HV PODCAST; Sep 7 2004 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Western Soundscape Subjects: Technology, Science, Music, Environment

Bird landing with wings spread (book/CD Cover)

Winged Wildlife in the Arctic 3:35 Jeff Rice

Audio engineer Martyn Stewart describes his experiences recording birds at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Millions of birds sing 24 hours a day there during the breeding season, and the refuge explodes with life -- a sharp contrast to reports by some who hope to drill for oil in the area, who say the refuge is a frozen wasteland. His book/CD is called "Arctic Wings." [transcript]

Broadcast: Jan 31 2007 on PRX Nature Stories Podcast; Oct 26 2006 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Western Soundscape Subjects: Environment, Science

Idaho’s Howling Mouse 4:04 Jeff Rice

Treking thruought the Idaho plains to prove the myth and reality of a howling mouse, accompanied by the recordings of zoologist Robert Sikes. [transcript]

Broadcast: Nov 19 2003 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Western Soundscape Subjects: Science, Environment

Listening to Ants 1:33 Jeff Rice

The surprising sounds of ants (heard through teeth), as recorded by entomologist Hayward Spangler. [transcript]

Broadcast: Oct 16 2003 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Western Soundscape Subjects: Science, Environment

The Mouse That Roars (long) 8:10 Jeff Rice

There are stories, some even claim sightings, of the source of a sound so rare that recordings of it in the wild are near impossible. We consult with zoologist Robert Sikes and hike into the desert southwest on a quest for the howling mouse. [transcript]

Broadcast: Oct 3 2003 on NPR Living on EarthSeries: Western Soundscape Subjects: Science, Environment

Gnat Dance 2:29 Jeff Rice

Entomologist Ian Robertson makes male gnats "dance" by mimicking the mating sounds of female gnats. [transcript]

Broadcast: Sep 25 2003 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Western Soundscape Subjects: Science, Environment