With the global pandemic banning most physical gatherings, many communities have had to virtually adapt to continue connecting through their shared interests. In the United Kingdom, a sound map of the world’s forests is bridging together nature lovers, musicians and anyone who misses music festivals.

Called “Sounds of the Forest,” it plots forests on a world map for anyone to access and listen to. Clicking on any yellow pin on the map will show a little window with its exact location, the name of the person who recorded it and some facts about the forest itself.

The sound map is a crowdsourced audio project by the people behind the annual Timber music festival, which takes place in the heart of the National Forest in the UK. The festival was postponed this year because of the pandemic.

While none of the Philippine forests have been plotted yet, they’re still open for submissions for their growing sound map.

All you have to do is take a one-minute audio recording of your local forest―or better, if you already have existing audio clips. Taking a picture of the forest would be great, too but remember to maintain physical distancing and observe protocol if you’re visiting your local woodland. You can then go to this page to fill out the form before submitting your contribution.

With deforestation threatening our environment, plotting Philippine forests on the sound map is just one of the many ways we can bring awareness and support the preservation of our local forests.

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Photo from the “Sounds of the Forest” map