Our MPA Outreach and Education team is leading the way with a new project to help K-12 students and the public forge deeper, more meaningful connections with California’s marine protected areas (MPAs). With support from Parks California, PORTS Program now has the equipment to capture high-quality audio recordings of coastal California State Parks adjacent to nearshore MPAs.

The recordings will be contributed to the Sounds of Your Park initiative, a project spearheaded by the National Park Service, Parks Canada, the IUCN, and the George Wright Society, among others. The new global collection of natural and cultural sounds from the planet’s protected places aims to inspire everyone to engage with our natural and cultural heritage and foster meaningful connections with our parks and protected areas.

Future recordings will allow virtual visitors to enjoy soundscapes from California State Parks and MPAs such as Crystal Cove State Park and SMCA, Morro Bay State Park and SMRMA, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and SMR, MacKerricher State Park and SMCA, and many more! We hope the recordings will support learning as students engage with our marine protected area PORTS Programs and dive into our MPA learning units and PBLs.

We are excited to help people around the world explore the sounds of California’s protected places. This international project will help increase the understanding of natural acoustics as a park resource and an integral part of the ecosystem, as well as give park interpreters and educators the tools to connect visitors and students with these soundscapes. Stay tuned for more information to come! In the meantime, head over to www.soundsofyourpark.com to explore a world map featuring nature recordings from locations around the globe!