‘Deep Listening to Nature’ by Andrew Skeoch

Andrew Skeoch is a master nature sound recordist, who over the last thirty years has travelled widely to capture the sounds of the world’s remaining wild places. His audio recordings have been heard in documentaries and feature films such as Peter Gabriel’s soundtrack to Rabbit Proof Fence, and published as over 100 soundscape albums through his label, Listening Earth.

In his new book, Deep Listening to Nature, Andrew not only takes the reader to remote locations to eavesdrop on exotic wildlife, but guides us in how to become a listener to nature immediately around us. Beginning by expanding our listening awareness, he shows how to identify species by voice, recognise the purposes of various vocalisations, and ultimately listen with empathy to the sentience of other creatures.
Andrew then invites us to listen more deeply - to the whole environment, to hear how nature works. He points to how we can discern a healthy habitat, hear the evolutionary links between species, and the ways communication is used pervasively throughout the animal kingdom to facilitate co-operation and avoid the costs of competition.

Andrew offers a unique multi-media presentation, weaving a narrative of ideas with fascinating recordings of birdsong and nature sounds. These are supported by spectrogram analysis allowing an audience to appreciate the beauty and structure of nature’s communications.
As an experienced public speaker, Andrew passionately engages audiences from community groups to the academic level. He has appeared on ABC Radio’s ‘Big Ideas’ program, and delivered a TEDx talk in Canberra

“A wonderful, beguiling book, inviting us back home to nature.” Robyn Davidson, author of Tracks

“A book of uplifting revelations.” Bob Brown, conservationist and former senator