Through multisensory, inclusive experiences, the forest becomes the concert hall, classroom, and guide—inviting audiences into an immersive, data-driven sound installation that brings ecological rhythms to life. Launching at Harvard Forest in 2025, visitors will use the Listening to the Forest app to “listen” to real-time ecological data. Each tree, plant, or observation point offers a unique, evolving soundscape shaped by ecological processes such as carbon exchange, sap flow, and growth—invisible to human senses by physics or timescale. By combining art, science, and technology, Listening to the Forest aims to deepen public understanding of environmental change, support inclusive ecological education, and provide new tools for climate research.
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Photo of Matthew Suttor visiting the Harvard Forest test site on November 23 to test the mobile app
Photo by Matthew Suttor of the first Listening to the Forest workshop with Music Haven students on November 12 2025
Photo by Matthew Suttor of a presentation to the Yale School of Music Alumni Reunion on October 11 at CCAM featuring a performance of No Time to Delay by Patrick Doane and Yaira Matyakubova from Music Haven
Participants
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Matthew Suttor
Senior Lecturer for Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies
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Judith Lichtman
Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases)
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Roeland Hancock
Center for Neurocognition and Behavior
