WrittteSOUND/saʊnd/

Noun: vibrations that travel through the air or another medium that can be heard when they reach a person’s or animal’s ear; the sensation perceived by the sense of hearing. 

Adjective: free from flaw, defect, or decay.

Image 1: Singapore Botanic Gardens Canopy Trail.

After crossing Holland Road to get to the Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG), I was hit by a wall of silence. Walking further in, the road traffic sounds were replaced by the hum of Cicadas and calls by the Collared Kingfishers. While strolling through the learning forest, Professor Gretchen asked us to pause, close our eyes, and attune our ears to the nature sounds in the forest. She then asked how we felt, and most of us in the group agreed that it was a ‘healing’ and ‘relaxing’ experience, apart from the periodic interruption by joggers and park-goers who broke the silence. This simple exercise suggests the importance of the often-overlooked auditory sense when experiencing nature – nature sounds elevate the overall well-being of humans, and sounds could also perhaps indicate the anthropogenic presence in our tropical rainforests.

 

Inspired by this exercise, I was curious to see how the sound levels differed throughout the park, especially in areas with varying degrees of anthropogenic interference. A sound meter (decibel meter) application was used to measure the sound levels at four different sites at SBG.

Image 2: Locations where sound levels were recorded.

Image 3: Site A, Sound of Cicadas.

Written by: JUSTIN FOO YUNG LI