EJC Arboretum’s Annual Litten Lecture & Program: Sound Ecology

Join us for a fascinating evening in sound ecology. JMU biologist Dr. Dana Moseley will share her research about how urban noise pollution can alter the song and breeding behavior of gray catbirds. Dr. Moseley and her lab make high-fidelity recordings of wild birds and soundscapes from the arboretum to the National Forest to parks in Washington, DC in order to measure differences across an urban gradient. Results indicate how successful our beloved backyard birds, catbirds, are in the face of the different habitats types they share with humans.

Anna Showalter, a musician and JMU doctoral student, will share an original piece for piano and electroacoustics by former JMU music professor Ashkan Fakhrtabatabaie’s that draws from audio data that Moseley collected at the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum and other Harrisonburg spaces. We will also enjoy a performance on this theme by cellist Amanda Gookin, executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival.

Admission is FREE to this event; however, your donation is much appreciated.