Our Earth Week is back on BCfm Radio and other community radios stations across the UK from Monday 11th November. This year is stronger than ever and the theme is Sounding Nature’s Voice.
Our Earth Week is a nation-wide initiative where community radio stations come together for one week and focus their content and output on environmental issues.
During Our Earth Week, community stations from all across the UK come together to talk about the climate crisis, and to celebrate life on earth.
The whole idea of Our Earth Week is to get people talking, and thinking.
The week coincides with the COP29 talks, when the leaders and negotiators from countries across the globe meet to try and take action to combat the climate crisis and presenters on community stations can help increase awareness about this by simply talking about any number of issues that affect them (green spaces, pollution, getting to work, protestors, for example).
This year, the theme is THE SOUND OF THE WILD. We will be transported to magical soundscapes across the world, to forests, to deep down in the ocean, to birds in flight, or the comforting sound of our local meadows and hedgerows. We’ll be able to listen to the extraordinary sounds of glaciers creaking and shifting, and hear from the sound recordists who captured these unique soundscapes.
None of us is an expert and every station will be different – all part of OEW’s rich tapestry.
The challenge this year is the SCHOOLS BIRDSONG CHALLENGE. Using the Merlin ID app, how many species can schools record on their site? Or can they discover any uncommon, or even rare species on their school grounds? We’re inviting schools across the country to take part and send us their results!
Every day we’ll be treated to SHRIEK OF THE DAY courtesy of the Birdsong Academy, and we’ll hear lots more animal sounds in our WHO’S THIS CALLING? quiz. We’ll also highlight the increasing silence in habitats across the globe – the Silent Spring heralded by Rachel Carson back in 1950’s America. Why are so many of our farms and gardens, that once rang out with such a symphony of calls and song, now silent?
Another new feature is GUESS THE SOUND, courtesy of world-renowned sound recordist (the David Attenborough of sound) Martyn Stewart. Each day Martyn will provide us with about 10 seconds of sound, and at the end of the day we’ll reveal what it is.
And then of course there’s the music; so much music!
Aside from the theme, there will be lots of voice messages from organisations talking about the work they are doing to try and deal with the climate crisis, and letting us know what we can do to play our part in slowing it right down.
And finally, there’s what you want to bring to Our Earth Week yourself, and as a station. So INSERT HERE! with whatever you want to add. We are really looking forward to hearing what you have to say.
A few examples of what to expect:
ALICE BOYD introducing a new track from an album inspired by a trip to the Cairngorms, featuring field recordings made by her at the time.
MARTYN STEWART introducing a recording of ice, and the process he went through to record it. Martyn is also going to provide us with a voice message to our listeners, expressing his worry about the disappearance of so many species. Some of the species he recorded are now extinct.
ALEX H DUNCAN musician, talking about making music from plants, and taking us through a recording of a muddy puddle!
OUR EARTH WEEK is produced by the Community Radio Environment Network (CREN), an informal network of radio stations, producers, sound artists and musicians. We are working to increase the amount of coverage of the climate crisis on community radio, and to giving a voice to the wildlife and plant life with whom we share this earth.
