Every good research project begins with a few small tests—and that’s exactly what we did. Before deploying our full network of acoustic sensors across the Alps, we launched a pilot study in the beautiful Val di Cembra.
We installed six audio sensors: three AudioMoth and three SongMeter units, each configured slightly differently. The goal was simple but essential: to compare the performance of the two sensor types, see how they capture sound in an alpine environment, and start gathering the first data we’ll use to define the best recording settings for our study.
This initial sampling is a key step. Before deploying eighty recorders across Trentino and Lombardy, we need to make sure we’ve found the right balance between recording quality, battery life, and data storage. The mountains offer incredible soundscapes—but also plenty of logistical and environmental challenges.
For me, it’s also a personal learning phase. Although these sensors are conceptually similar to the ones I used in marine settings, they each have their own quirks. Getting used to new tools is always an interesting process—and programming, installing, and retrieving devices in forests and pastures is a very different experience than doing it from a boat!
This small test marks the official start of WildSOUND: just the first step of many, but already full of data, lessons, and new perspectives.
