University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library

The J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah, partnering with the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and other partners, will build the Western Soundscape Archive (WSA), a comprehensive and free online resource of animal and environmental sounds of the western United States. Through freely available streaming audio files and downloadable podcasts, scientists, scholars, educators, students, and nature enthusiasts will be able to identify animals and hear ambient recordings of places that no longer exist or have been altered, or that they are unable to visit. In addition to creating or repurposing existing digital natural sound recordings, the project team will interview scientists and generate stories for National Public Radio.