Gordon Hempton is a “sound-tracker” who travels all over the world in order to record rare or disappearing sounds – particularly the sound of silence.
Hempton has spent years fighting to protect the world’s quietest places from noise pollution and the sounds of intrusive human presence.
He first became inspired to preserve silence in 2005 when he visited the Hoh River Valley in Washington. The diligent sound-tracker says that he had to hike 3 miles in order for the sounds of the roads and parking lot to fade away – but his trek through the woods eventually brought him to an approximate square-inch of silence which he believes is the quietest place in the United States.
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The park is now just one of the places that Hempton plans on protecting as a “quiet park.”
Hempton believes that designating international quiet parks will help to ensure that people will be able to experience silence for generations to come.
Hempton recently announced the creation of the world’s first certified quiet park in the Amazon Rainforest.
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After developing a relationship with the Cofan Tribe and receiving their blessing, the Zabalo River in Ecuador will now be protected from human noise pollution, which will also help to preserve the lands of the native people. Hempton has even ensured that the region is far away from any airplane flight paths that may run overhead.
With the help of his nonprofit organization Quiet Parks International, Hempton now hopes to instate 100 more quiet parks within the next few years, with another 165 already identified as additional quiet parks in the future, several of which are located in the United States.
(WATCH the 2017 video below) – Photo by Great Big Story
Be Sure And Share The Sound Of Silence With Your Friends On Social Media…
So cool! He is on a roll! What a unique idea! Places with just the sound of nature and that’s it — it sounds so peaceful and relaxing. It must be a good place to clear your head and take a vacation.