Wandering through the beautiful water features and theatrical botany of Alnwick Gardens in Northumberland last weekend, I discovered a tree with headphones hanging from it.
These headphones were just beckoning for me to come and listen to the tree. And, that was exactly their intention.
The Listening Tree, from the brainchild of Alex Metcalf, is an installation currently touring throughout UK and Europe, using the power of technology to really understand the natural world.
The perfect Slow Life activity, Metcalf, who originally studied product design, decided to instead hear the internal happenings of the trees. Metcalf explained that each tree has its own unique sound, if you listen hard enough.
By creating a special microphone especially for the purpose that amplifies the sounds, you can first of all hear a “deep rumbling sound” that is caused by the vibrations as the tree moves in the wind. At the same time there are “quiet popping sounds” that is the noise of water passing through the inner workings of the tree.
Metcalf’s aim is purely for people to see trees in a different light. There is great opportunity to have a moment with nature and explore the science behind it, while getting an educational experience from the man himself.
Details of where the latest exhibitions are to be held are on Alex Metcalf’s website, which also describes the science further through handy diagrams.
