Exploring Forest Biodiversity Through Sound
Forest Groove explores forest biodiversity together with students through nature observations and sound recordings. The collected data on species and forest sounds support research and make the diversity of the forest audible and tangible.
What are the aims of the project?
Forest Groove investigates biodiversity in urban and peri-urban forests in Vienna and its surroundings together with citizen scientists. The focus lies on acoustic diversity: animal sounds and environmental noise are recorded and combined with species observations and assessments of forest structure. The project aims to better understand the relationships between forest structure, species richness and the acoustic environment, including the impact of human-generated noise. Participants contribute systematically collected data to scientific research and gain insight into scientific methods.
How can you participate in the project?
As part of the Citizen Science Award 2026, school classes can actively participate in the project. After an introductory workshop, students join the project team for a field excursion to a forest site in Vienna or its surroundings. They record forest sounds, document animals, plants and fungi using the iNaturalist platform, and assess basic forest structures. The collected data directly contribute to the scientific analysis. Participation is possible for entire classes accompanied by a teacher.
Pictures from the project
