| Kelvin Childress |
When you are in the wilderness most people would think it is so quiet, there aren’t the sounds of cars, people, and other sounds that
most city people are used to. This statement is partly true in that there aren’t a lot of noises that most people hear in everyday life, and a
lot of the time it is a lot quieter in the wilderness than it is in the city. If you go to the wilderness though for long enough you start to hear
all the wonderful songs that each organism sings. In fact there are lots of sounds that you become accustomed to listening for in the
wilderness, and when you come away from the wilderness and back to the city most of the sounds you hear, in the city, are just noises
and you miss the beautiful sounds of the wilderness.
There are millions of organisms trying to share their song with you when in the wilderness, and all you have to do is sit back and
listen. One of the most obvious sounds you will hear, and in most cases the most often sound, is the squirrel. At first thought about the
squirrel’s most will think they are loud and an annoyance, in some instances this is true, but when you truly sit back and think of these
animals you realize how beautiful their actions, no matter how random they may seem, and their song, even though sometimes it comes
when you are trying to sleep, can truly be. The squirrel is such a curious creature and is always brave to venture into campsites, most
people might think of them as annoyances, but I enjoyed the squirrel they remind me of a kid who is curious and constantly exploring.
Their song, if you want to call it that, is one that makes you laugh as they call in mates or ward off other squirrels; but it adds a strong
sense to the wilderness and when you don’t have the squirrel’s there constantly back in the city there is part of you missing them. Our
campsites always seemed to have the loudest squirrels, and they seemed to always want to make noise when people are trying to sleep
or carry on a conversation.
most city people are used to. This statement is partly true in that there aren’t a lot of noises that most people hear in everyday life, and a
lot of the time it is a lot quieter in the wilderness than it is in the city. If you go to the wilderness though for long enough you start to hear
all the wonderful songs that each organism sings. In fact there are lots of sounds that you become accustomed to listening for in the
wilderness, and when you come away from the wilderness and back to the city most of the sounds you hear, in the city, are just noises
and you miss the beautiful sounds of the wilderness.
There are millions of organisms trying to share their song with you when in the wilderness, and all you have to do is sit back and
listen. One of the most obvious sounds you will hear, and in most cases the most often sound, is the squirrel. At first thought about the
squirrel’s most will think they are loud and an annoyance, in some instances this is true, but when you truly sit back and think of these
animals you realize how beautiful their actions, no matter how random they may seem, and their song, even though sometimes it comes
when you are trying to sleep, can truly be. The squirrel is such a curious creature and is always brave to venture into campsites, most
people might think of them as annoyances, but I enjoyed the squirrel they remind me of a kid who is curious and constantly exploring.
Their song, if you want to call it that, is one that makes you laugh as they call in mates or ward off other squirrels; but it adds a strong
sense to the wilderness and when you don’t have the squirrel’s there constantly back in the city there is part of you missing them. Our
campsites always seemed to have the loudest squirrels, and they seemed to always want to make noise when people are trying to sleep
or carry on a conversation.
The Necessity of Wilderness
Some of the less common sounds, but sounds still adding to the song as a whole was the loon, the otter’s, and the wolves. Each
of these had their part like small solos throughout a musical piece. Listening to the loon’s make their odd almost funny call makes
one laugh and be wondrous to the strange beauty you hear in such an odd and awkward sound. Otter’s add some more odd sounds
to this already diverse and beautiful song being constructed. The almost hissing sound that the otters make is funny and makes
everyone laugh. We saw two otters when canoeing across Dent Lake, I believe, and they were just playing in the water. When they
saw Jenna and Jennifer’s boat they made their hissing sound towards them trying to seem intimidating even though they are such
light-hearted animals and carefree organisms that people could hardly take them seriously. My favorite of all the sounds, though, is
the wolf. Whether it is a lone wolf crying at the night trying to find his pack; or a whole pack crying to the moon in the middle of the night
it always sends chills up my back. When you hear one in the middle of the night you can never tell exactly where it is at. The area is so
open and large that the howl just echoes around and their exact position is not known. We were out on a lake one night when a group
of wolves started howling, and it was an amazing sound. To hear this wild group of animals in their natural surrounding doing exactly
what they have grown up doing puts an amazing feeling in me.
of these had their part like small solos throughout a musical piece. Listening to the loon’s make their odd almost funny call makes
one laugh and be wondrous to the strange beauty you hear in such an odd and awkward sound. Otter’s add some more odd sounds
to this already diverse and beautiful song being constructed. The almost hissing sound that the otters make is funny and makes
everyone laugh. We saw two otters when canoeing across Dent Lake, I believe, and they were just playing in the water. When they
saw Jenna and Jennifer’s boat they made their hissing sound towards them trying to seem intimidating even though they are such
light-hearted animals and carefree organisms that people could hardly take them seriously. My favorite of all the sounds, though, is
the wolf. Whether it is a lone wolf crying at the night trying to find his pack; or a whole pack crying to the moon in the middle of the night
it always sends chills up my back. When you hear one in the middle of the night you can never tell exactly where it is at. The area is so
open and large that the howl just echoes around and their exact position is not known. We were out on a lake one night when a group
of wolves started howling, and it was an amazing sound. To hear this wild group of animals in their natural surrounding doing exactly
what they have grown up doing puts an amazing feeling in me.
Another strong sense of the music you get in the wilderness is the sound of the water.
You might be confused as to how water can be music, but it is the steady beat
constantly going. It eventually turns into almost soothing background music to you as
you become so accustomed to hearing it. It really adds a lot to the experience and you
don’t realize it is there sometimes until you stop hearing it. I really loved listening to the
sound of all the water running and at times there was so much moving at once that it
almost seemed as if their was a water fall close by. When paddling in the canoe I
swore I could hear the sound of a water fall, and since we were approaching a turn in
the river and soon would portage I was thinking that maybe their was one up ahead. To
my surprise it was just the sound of millions of gallons of water moving all at once that
gave that elusive water fall sound, and even though I was sad not to see one, it made
me realize just how small I was in the boat out on the water and how easily all this
water could overtake us at any time, it was very humbling.
You might be confused as to how water can be music, but it is the steady beat
constantly going. It eventually turns into almost soothing background music to you as
you become so accustomed to hearing it. It really adds a lot to the experience and you
don’t realize it is there sometimes until you stop hearing it. I really loved listening to the
sound of all the water running and at times there was so much moving at once that it
almost seemed as if their was a water fall close by. When paddling in the canoe I
swore I could hear the sound of a water fall, and since we were approaching a turn in
the river and soon would portage I was thinking that maybe their was one up ahead. To
my surprise it was just the sound of millions of gallons of water moving all at once that
gave that elusive water fall sound, and even though I was sad not to see one, it made
me realize just how small I was in the boat out on the water and how easily all this
water could overtake us at any time, it was very humbling.
The environment around you, other than the animals, adds in its
own parts to the experience. Some extra sounds added in by the
environment is the sound of the wind, the sound of the trees falling
over, and the sound of no sound at all. The sound of a cracking tree
or of a tree falling to the ground sends a rush through your body.
When walking through our longest portage of our trip I heard a
cracking sound and the sound of a tree falling over. When I got up to
where I heard the sound I saw Mason and Bruce who said the tree
fell only ten feet from them. It was an awesome sight and
experience. When you are in the wilderness the wind is so
amazing. When you sit their you can hear it blowing towards you,
and hears it go over the tree tops. It is amazing listening to the wind
as it travels through the boundary waters. It seems more definite
then in Nebraska because it seems to be in one place.
own parts to the experience. Some extra sounds added in by the
environment is the sound of the wind, the sound of the trees falling
over, and the sound of no sound at all. The sound of a cracking tree
or of a tree falling to the ground sends a rush through your body.
When walking through our longest portage of our trip I heard a
cracking sound and the sound of a tree falling over. When I got up to
where I heard the sound I saw Mason and Bruce who said the tree
fell only ten feet from them. It was an awesome sight and
experience. When you are in the wilderness the wind is so
amazing. When you sit their you can hear it blowing towards you,
and hears it go over the tree tops. It is amazing listening to the wind
as it travels through the boundary waters. It seems more definite
then in Nebraska because it seems to be in one place.
Another amazing sound of the
wilderness is the silence at night, when
nothing is happening and you are out on
the water, as we were in Zenith, and
everything seems still. It gives you
peace inside and puts calm over all of
your body, spirit, and mind.
wilderness is the silence at night, when
nothing is happening and you are out on
the water, as we were in Zenith, and
everything seems still. It gives you
peace inside and puts calm over all of
your body, spirit, and mind.
All of these and many more add together to give the wilderness its song. Apart from the distinct noises you can hear out in the
wilderness, the feeling you get from being there adds music in your heart. Seeing all of the animals, plants, and nonliving things
combined into their natural environment makes what seems to be the video of the environment. Everything seems to be so interactive
with each other that it puts its own song in your mind without ever hearing anything.
wilderness, the feeling you get from being there adds music in your heart. Seeing all of the animals, plants, and nonliving things
combined into their natural environment makes what seems to be the video of the environment. Everything seems to be so interactive
with each other that it puts its own song in your mind without ever hearing anything.
The song of the wilderness makes
everything better, no matter what you
are doing you seem to stay happy and
peaceful. When we did our four
hundred and ninety rod portage I was
never tired, or upset about it because
I was happy, and enjoying just being
a part of the song.
everything better, no matter what you
are doing you seem to stay happy and
peaceful. When we did our four
hundred and ninety rod portage I was
never tired, or upset about it because
I was happy, and enjoying just being
a part of the song.
