New Friars School - Walking, Listening & Observing

In the imaginary of the canal, many bird species can lay claim to status as top inhabitant. The dawn chorus by the canal seems more accentuated than I was ever accustomed, with its steep canalsides and incredible lichen-covered walls fusing and bouncing around bird song to create a rich, nuanced and saturated soundscape.

New Friars School came to visit during their Forest school sessions led by Mark Cooper, who was an incredibly encouraging and knowledgeable member of the group. The group spent time listening to the canal area with a selection of microphones, filming above and below the water line with a gopro and using microscopes to explore in more detail.

Listening to the birds using highly-sensitive omni mics placed 3metres up seemed to be the most exciting activity for two students, who had exceptional skills in identifying the species around them, including chiff chaff, robin, guls and . Below is an excerpt from their listening session. The ambient sounds include the railway and road noise, school playing field and other voices of exploring the canalside. In amongst this, the students listen intently and pick out bird song, enthusing about the location.

Students also had time documenting the canal using a DSLR camera. We talked about details and what was present, identifying different types of lichen and moss, as well as changing characteristics of the season. The photographs were all excellent, capturing the a variety of plants species on the canalside, as well as the environment of the canal and weather on the day. All photos are unedited, original images as shot by the group.