Workshop 

Turning Sound into Discovery: Using Wildlife Audio Recorders as a Valuable Research Tool

Organizer(s):

Bioacoustics is increasingly becoming a valuable tool for biologists, environmental scientists, and natural resource managers who are tasked with surveying and monitoring wildlife populations. It is being used to support resource management decisions, assess habitat health, document changes in species distribution, meet regulatory compliance goals, guide conservation planning, and even track the ecological impacts of climate change. Because it captures the presence and behavior of animals without disturbing them, it offers a unique combination of being non-invasive, cost-effective, scalable, and unbiased. Researchers are now applying acoustic monitoring methods to the study of birds, bats, insects, amphibians, small mammals, primates, and entire soundscapes to reveal patterns that would be difficult or impossible to detect through other traditional field methods alone.

However, like any scientific tool, acoustic monitoring requires a solid understanding of both its capabilities and its limitations in order to produce reliable, interpretable data. Factors such as equipment setup, microphone placement, environmental noise, sample rates, gain settings, and deployment strategies can significantly influence results. Selecting the right hardware and knowing how to configure it properly can make the difference between a successful dataset and one that is difficult to analyze. Ensuring consistent methods and thoughtful planning are key to maximizing the value of bioacoustic approaches.

Biologists around the world have made Wildlife Acoustics’ Song Meter platform the global standard for autonomous recording, with more than 150,000 recorders deployed in over 90 countries. In this hands-on workshop, participants will work directly with the Song Meter Micro 2, our compact and affordable, yet highly capable field recorder. You’ll learn how to set up, configure, and deploy the unit to support a successful bioacoustics project—from the basics of sound and signal properties to practical considerations such as choosing a schedule and selecting appropriate settings.

The first part of the workshop will introduce foundational acoustic concepts and how they translate into real-world recording decisions. The remainder will focus on guided, hands-on practice with the Song Meter Micro 2.