Interested in recording the sounds of birds and other wildlife?
The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is excited to host two sound recording workshops in Australia this upcoming spring! One workshop will be held near Geelong, and the other near Brisbane. These three-day workshops are intended to teach the basics of sound recording, editing, and sharing. Each workshop includes an introductory talk, two full mornings of recording in the field, and two afternoon classroom sessions. You don’t necessarily need to have previous experience in sound recording, just a strong interest in getting started and contributing your recordings to science!
Dates: 6-8 December 2024, Deakin University, Geelong
13-15 December 2024, Brisbane
The following will be provided as part of the workshop:
- Transportation to the recording sites each morning
- Lecture rooms each afternoon and teaching materials
- Breakfast and lunch on days 2 and 3
- Free access to Cornell’s online Sound Recording Course (US$100 value)
The cost of lodging and evening meals are the responsibility of participants. Lodging is available on the campus of Deakin University (Geelong workshop) or near the University of Queensland campus (Brisbane workshop); details to be provided.
While some recording equipment will be available, we strongly encourage participants to bring any gear they already own to the workshop. We are happy to provide advice on equipment and guide anyone interested in acquiring appropriate gear before the workshop. We will be focusing on directional microphones to make focal recordings. Soundscapes will be touched on, but will not be the emphasis of the course.
Laptops are an essential part of the sound editing process, and each participant is required to bring one to the workshop.
Cost: A$100 (we can provide a limited number of scholarships to cover this fee as needed)
Requirements
- Strong interest in sound recording
- Strong interest in sharing recordings with others
- Laptop computer
Preferred qualifications
- Sound recording equipment
- Interest in Merlin Sound ID/annotation
- Experience with eBird/Macaulay Library platforms
Rough schedule:
Day 1 (Friday): Convene in the late afternoon (3-4PM). Talks to introduce basic concepts and set up gear for the next morning.
Day 2 (Saturday): Early morning field outing. Afternoon discussions, file review, and editing session.
Day 3 (Sunday): Early morning field outing. Afternoon intensive editing and upload session. End late afternoon, with option for participants to stay for dinner or head out around 3-5PM.
Please fill out this application form to express your interest in one or both of these recording workshops as soon as possible (~November 15th at the latest): https://forms.gle/he8kGeP98zAgJhR26
Or if you have any questions or want more information, you can reach out to Jay McGowan at jwm57@cornell.edu.