Sharon Gill Awarded Grant to Study Soundscape

Department of Biological Sciences associate professor, Dr. Sharon Gill received an award of nearly $25,000 from the Eppley Foundation to research the soundscape — the collections of sound from animals, wind, water and humans — of local nature preserves and to learn what soundscape tells us about the environment.

Gill has been studying how anthropogenic noise affects animal communication and while conducting this research she often visits local natural areas. The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) manages many of the sites where her research has been done, and their experiences at the preserves led Gill and her collaborators to the study of soundscapes and how anthropogenic, or human-generated, noise from outside preserves might affect soundscape quality. Though there are 40 potential locations for this fieldwork and data collection, Gill and her team, made up of Dr. Maarten Vonhof (biological sciences), Dr. Kathleen Baker (geography) and Nate Fuller (conversation and stewardship director, SWMLC) will begin by studying 8. They selected reserves with both grasslands and forests, differing in sizes and distances from types of noise. Data collection will take place using automated recorders that are programmable by time. The recordings begin in March and will go through the end of September in order to capture mating season of birds, frogs and insects. These recordings will help Gill understand how often noise is audible at these sites, how human activities outside of the preserves contribute to noise, and the link between noise audibility and biodiversity. The team will then make recommendations to the SWMLC regarding how to mitigate noise on their preserves.

In addition to comprehending soundscapes at these preserves and mitigating noise at the land conservancy, Gill hopes to ultimately connect people to their environment using sound. She plans to help others understand how noise affects animals and can filter out some species, which impacts biodiversity. According to Gill, by studying soundscapes we also gain understanding about how noise affects human health in areas of stress and sleep. In order to inform more than the scientific community and stakeholders, Gill has started having sound walks at SWMLC preserves where people are encouraged to focus on listening rather than seeing.

The Eppley Foundation for Research was incorporated in 1947 for the purpose of "increasing knowledge in pure or applied science...in chemistry, physics and biology through study, research and publication." Today the Foundation funds projects in medicine, life sciences and the physical sciences. Particular areas of interest include innovative medical investigations and applications, endangered animals and ecosystems, and climate change.