I’ve been doing a lot of writing about Forest Park, here in Portland, Oregon, so I decided not to double up this week. In fact, I’m putting a pause on the Wildwood Trail Sound & Vision series, to pick it back up later this year, when the photos I took match the season better.

The environmental audio for today’s release was captured at Ancient Forest Preserve, a non-contiguous 27-acre chunk of Forest Park floating about two miles to the northwest of the 5200 acre park proper; an island outpost of old-growth, managed by the Forest Park Conservancy with little fanfare. Private forest lands surround it on two sides, while the Metro-owned Burlington Creek Forest fans out like an apron beneath it, providing public access.

This is what it looks like from above:

Recorded last December, this soundscape is quite delicate. Small water sounds are magnified and cave-like. Allow me to explain: Burlington Creek flows through this forest, entering a culvert beneath a gravel road at its eastern boundary. My microphones were just within in earshot of that culvert, a 6’ diameter pipe, which had an amplifying effect on the water trickling through. The stereo field captures both the foreground creek sound as well as the distant culvert undertones.

I tried to select instrument voices that blended well with this constellation of little sounds. Droplet synths, hammered dulcimer-esque synths, banjo, pan drum... Washy sounds and sparkly sounds.

Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets busily forage in the mild December evening light. Geese fly overhead. And, there’s a mammal or two as well. Possibly deer. Possibly a very quiet human. A mystery.

Ancient Forest Preserve has a squiggly horseshoe trail nearly looping back to itself. I made a leisurely circuit while leaving my recording gear to soak up the creek sound. I didn’t expect to see anyone else in the fading light.

What a memorable evening; what a charmed place. Thanks for revisiting it with me. Ancient Forest Suite is available under the artist name Listening Spot on all streaming platforms Friday, May 16th.