Noise In The News: Weekly Round-Up

by Quiet Communities Staff

Photo credit: Andrea Piacquadio

Salmon raised in noise

Noise costs us more than peace of mind. It threatens our pockets and dinner plates, too. A recent Washington State University study provides evidence of exactly that, finding salmon raised in loud hatchery environments are less likely to return from the ocean to spawn. With hatchery salmon already showing lower fitness than wild salmon, this finding highlights the inherent noise accompanying hatchery functionsas a problem for the fish industry as it attempts to revive salmon populations. 

American Prairie gains Quiet Parks designation

Natural silence is a gift worth protecting. In Lewistown, Montana, this gift has gained the recognition it finally deserves. American Prairie, a 600,000-acre project preserving one of the US’ remaining intact prairies, was designated as a Wilderness Quiet Park by Quiet Parks International in March of this year. A feat of acoustic conservation, the park has joined the ranks of internationally recognized sites where natural quiet has not been hindered by noise, supporting both wildlife and the human communities surrounding them.