#ambience #redwood #forest #Listeningtoearth #redwoodnationalpark
The sound of morning among the giants. This soundscape was recorded in Redwood National Park August 17, 2021. Behind the scenes notes: This was probably the most difficult sound recording I have ever gone after. A redwood forest is naturally very quiet. During the majority of the day, you only hear wind through the needles of redwood trees and the occasional chirping of birds. The dawn chorus is the most active sonic time of the day in most environments, but certainly so in a Redwood Forest.
Due to it’s natural silence, it is very difficult to escape the sound of traffic noise from U.S. 101. Even several miles away from it, my microphone was able to pick up the distant low-end rumble of semi-tractor-trailers roaring down the highway. It took me several days to find a decent recording location that was a balance between eliminating traffic noise and finding interesting sound sources. Additionally, many of the sound sources—birds—are perched in the canopy of the tallest trees in the world. This introduces an added layer of difficulty to recording. In best recording practices, a sound source should be close to the microphone element. This prevents overcompensation by cranking the gain and raising the noise floor (the white noise kind of sound).
These two major hurdles influenced my decision on where to record. On the last day, I chose an area several miles away from U.S. 101 that had a hardwood hammock growing where the redwood canopy had opened up to allow more light. The lower branches of the hardwood trees brought the songbirds closer to my microphone while the ravens stayed higher in the redwoods. The ravens being further away created an eerie echo that sonically painted an image of the space towering trees create. This recording is just after sunrise as a heavy mist accumulated on the trees then dripped down to the ferns below.

Recorded in stereo - headphones will immerse you in this natural soundscape and enhance your experience. Use this sound as a background ambience for studying, working, creative inspiration, meditation, restorative exercises, or relaxation.

⚠️All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without permission. All sounds and images are the original recordings and property of Listening To Earth LLC and are the native sounds of this place. No sounds have been added

Chapters
0:00 Stout Grove sunrise
17:39 Looking up into the Trees
33:32 Cathedral Trees Trail
52:24 Stout Grove looking up
56:22 Stout Grove before sunrise