Sounds of the Forest

What Sounds of the Forest actually is

Timber Festival asked people to record a minute of their local woodland and send it in, then pinned every submission to a world map. Clicking a pin plays that minute, so you can travel from a Derbyshire copse to a Finnish pine stand by dragging across the map.

Why it is worth your time

Recordings are unpolished phone captures, so you occasionally get a dog, a distant motorway or the recordist breathing, which turns the map into a record of people as much as places.

Common questions

Is Sounds of the Forest free?

Yes. Sounds of the Forest is free and does not ask you to register or hand over an email address before you can use it.

How long does Sounds of the Forest take?

Five to fifteen minutes of proper attention. We file it under "Coffee break" — a world map where every pin is a woodland recording.

Does Sounds of the Forest work on a phone?

Sounds of the Forest really wants a mouse and a wide window. It will load on a phone, but the experience is built for desktop.

What kind of site is Sounds of the Forest?

We list it under The Calm Corner — somewhere to put your shoulders down. Recordings are unpolished phone captures, so you occasionally get a dog, a distant motorway or the recordist breathing, which turns the map into a record of people as much as places.