Sound ecology: Montañas Vacías.
For this project, we embraced a holistic and environmentally conscious approach to soundscape documentation, inspired by Quiet Parks International (QPI)—a visionary organization devoted to preserving and celebrating the world’s last truly quiet, healthy natural spaces. QPI’s mission to protect these sanctuaries and promote the healing power of natural silence guided every step of our journey.
We combined advanced technology—high-quality condenser microphones, the Zoom H4n Pro’s stereo capabilities, a 360° binaural recorder, and an ISO-Tech SLM 52N decibel meter—with a deep respect for the land. Our equipment, powered by a solar battery, allowed us to listen continuously for 24 hours, harmonizing our research practices with the rhythms of the environment and minimizing our ecological footprint.
Yet, beyond the technical, we brought our full selves into the field. We tuned in with our senses, our nervous systems, and our minds—allowing the calm of the environment to settle within us.
We listened not only with microphones but with our bodies, attuned to the subtle symphony of biodiversity that defines true silence. The gentle rustle of leaves, the distant call of a bird, the hush of wind—these sounds became a living measure of the richness and health of the ecosystem.
During our expedition, we felt the urgent need to rethink how we engage with natural environments. The experience called for a shift in tourism—toward practices that are less invasive, more mindful, and deeply respectful of the places we visit. We realized that to truly honor these quiet spaces, we must become thoughtful stewards, seeking not only to observe but to protect and nurture the delicate balance of life that flourishes there.
By integrating both scientific rigor and poetic presence, our work supports QPI’s vision: to safeguard quiet parks as vital refuges for nature, humanity, and the profound silence that connects us all.
When we were working on this acoustic ecology project, our main interest was to propose ways to protect the territory from invasive tourism. We did this in collaboration with Montañas Vacías, an organization that has created a network of cyclists to reactivate human flow in what is called “Empty Spain.” The depopulation of “Empty Spain” has deep roots in the rural exodus of the 1950s and 60s, intensified during Franco’s dictatorship, whose policies prioritized industrial and urban development at the expense of rural abandonment, displacing villages and their inhabitants to supply cities with cheap labor, thereby consolidating territorial imbalance and the stigma of rural areas as backward.
We visited the territory of Frías de Albarracín because it is in a complicated situation. There is a plan to carry out an energy extractivism project to supply electric flow to Valencia, taking advantage of the orography of a natural area that serves as habitat for endangered species such as the Ricoti lark.