Perri Lynch Howard | Gordon Hempton | 02.17.2024

Investigations

We have been recording throughout the Apollo Beach Unit of Canaveral National Seashore during the hours of dawn, dusk, and at night. Sites include:
Eldora State House - Pier and Black Mangrove Boardwalk

Ambient/Binaural Recordings of grounds.

Hydrophone recordings of Mosquito Lagoon.

Eldora Hammock - Parking areas 6, 7, 8

Ambient/BInaural Recordings of loop trail.

Recording site for Falcon 9 rocket launch on 15 FEB 2024.
Castle Windy - Walking trail 

Ambient/BInaural Recordings at multiple locations between the access road and lagoon.
Beach 4

Ambient/BInaural Recordings of wave action and shoreline.

Hydrophone recording (buried in the sand).

Beach 5

Hydrophone recording of USSF-124 rocket launch on 14 FEB 2024.

Doris Leeper House

Ambient/Binaural Recordings of various locations on the grounds.

Observations

Anthropogenic sound is constant throughout hours of daylight and darkness, frequently exceeding the sound pressure levels of the natural ambience. Sounds include:

+ Nearshore recreational boat traffic in Mosquito Lagoon.
+ Low altitude single-engine air traffic from a nearby flight school and general aviation.
+ Ground transportation noise, particularly during optimum atmospheric conditions for sound propagation (calm, humid, warm), the same conditions important to wildlife communications.

Dawn recordings -

Dawn chorus is active, but limited to a few species of birds, mostly contact calls with a few songs. First bird calls ~ 6:45A.
Boat traffic commences at ~ 7A in the lagoon and lasts throughout the day, if boating conditions are favorable.

Overflights begin around 7A and last throughout the day, if flying conditions are favorable. 

Train whistles and locomotive sounds are present on an episodic basis.

Distant automobile traffic is constant, from major thoroughfares across the lagoon.
Dusk recordings - 

Little or no evening bird chorus.

Insect sounds (stridulations and striations) from ~7:30p onward, declining with cooler temperatures.

Night recordings -

Insects are predominant.

Occasional frogs.

High altitude commercial air traffic is nearly constant.

Interpretations

Being embedded in the park, at the Doris Leeper house, allows space and time for common moments and beautiful moments in the off-hours that we could not access otherwise.

Exploring the dynamics of public accessibility vs. preservation of the resource.

NOTE: Secretary of the Interior, Udall, said, "When preservation of the natural resource and public use conflict, preservation of the natural resources will endure (1964)." He also authored the book "Quiet Crisis." 

As artists, we're interested in two questions:

First - We are staying in the Doris Leeper House, a historical icon for both her art and advocacy - While she stayed here how did living in the house influence her art and the creation of Canaveral National Seashore? The answer lies in making ourselves available, sensorially, to the nature experience offered here.

Second - What role does the artist have in defending beauty? Does the artist have an intrinsic responsibility to the beauty of this place?