Sensing the Forest - Installation Soundscape Dataset - Part 1/2

This dataset contains recordings of Dendrophone, a site-specific sound installation by Peter Batchelor located in Alice Holt Forest, Surrey, UK, collected as part of the AHRC-funded Sensing the Forest project (AH/X011585/2). Dendrophone transforms local environmental data — humidity, sunlight energy, and carbon dioxide levels — into immersive, ever-changing sound textures that reveal the hidden rhythms of the forest.

Recordings are made directly from the installation's multichannel output, capturing both its generative soundscape and the ambient natural environment. The installation runs daily from 11am to 5pm (local solar time), powered entirely by solar panels with lead-acid battery storage.

The recording system is a solar-powered DIY Raspberry Pi audio streamer designed by Luigi Marino. From 15 February 2025 to 20 May 2025, recordings used MEMS microphones, capturing both solar times (sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the midpoint between sunset and sunrise) and installation times. From 20 May 2025 onward, audio quality improved significantly following an upgrade to RØDE LavalierGO microphones with a RØDE AI-Micro audio interface, with recordings captured 10 times a day.

The surrounding habitat features native broadleaf species including oak, sweet chestnut, birch, and willow. Wildlife in the area includes roe and muntjac deer, bats, and a variety of birds such as chiffchaff, robin, wren, coal tit, and tawny owl.

The full dataset is divided into two parts due to file size constraints. This record contains Part 1 of 2, covering recordings from February 2025 to June 2025. Please refer to the linked companion record for Part 2 (June 2025 – August 2025). All audio files are in WAV format and are released under Creative Commons 0 (CC0 1.0 — Public Domain). The original sounds are also available on Freesound at: https://freesound.org/people/sensingtheforest/packs/43504/

For more information about the project, visit: https://sensingtheforest.github.io