By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer
On July 18, World Listening Day was observed in memory of Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer, who helped found the Acoustic Ecology movement. This movement examines the relationship between humans and their environment. For example, marine species like whales and dolphins who use echolocation have to communicate louder to one another due to noise pollution caused by shipping boats in the ocean. Acoustic Ecology showcases how human activity impacts the physical environment in often unconsidered ways.
For 2023’s World Listening Day, professors of communication, Milena Droumeva and Julie Andreyev, organized a soundwalk through trails on Burnaby Mountain. The soundwalk was an opportunity to observe habitat loss, the noise pollution from deforestation, and disruption from the Trans Mountain pipeline to engage with understanding the ecological crisis.
The Peak interviewed Droumeva to discuss the motives of the soundwalk and how Schafer’s studies on acoustic ecology tie into the event.
“Listening and sounding/speaking are two parts of communicative exchange that can be in or out of balance,” said Droumeva. “In fact, listening is an evolutionary necessity.” According to Droumeva, non-humans’ ability to survive has been interfered with, due to human interruptions, leading some species toward preventable extinction.
Professor Droumeva noted the reason for selecting Burnaby Mountain was because there is a route from the SFU Burnaby campus to the Trans Mountain pipeline site. Attendees of the event could note a decrease in natural environmental sounds, such as bird songs being replaced by mechanical humming of human-made machines, reflecting an invasion of the natural ecosystem.
“Listening alone reveals the existence and politics of fossil fuel economies, inference management, and economic preservation,” said Droumeva. “Listening, we could hear the tensions between these ever-competing interests.”
Not only was the soundscape of Burnaby Mountain’s natural environment a point to observe, but Droumeva pointed out how even the sight of nature has been tainted by human activity. She described how the ancient Douglas Fir and Red Cedar trees remind her that many hectares of forest were logged for the pipeline expansion in 2020. Even the hum from water pump stations may be faint to the human ear but are detrimental to wildlife. Droumeva suggested this may explain the absence of creatures around the area.
The Peak asked how students can use their sense of listening to enact change in an increasingly noisy world: “Over the years communication students in CMNS 359 (The Culture and Politics of Sound) have explored many aspects of the campus and Burnaby Mountain.” The course includes discussions of “environmental policy, through sound maps of bird life, through exploration of noise issues in campus study areas, as well as links between excessive construction noise and effective learning.”
