APPLIED BIOACOUSTICS IN CONSERVATION AND PRACTICE

This hands-on field course introduces participants to the principles and practice of bioacoustics in terrestrial ecosystems, with a focus on conservation applications. The course is designed for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners. It combines lectures, workshops, and field exercises to build practical skills in acoustic recording and analysis. Participants will learn to collect, process, and interpret sound data to monitor biodiversity and address real-world ecological challenges. Special emphasis is placed on applying these methods within Africa’s diverse and dynamic landscapes, using tools like Raven, BirdNET, and Kaleidoscope.

KEY TOPICS

• Fundamentals of Bioacoustics: Understanding how animals produce and use sound for communication, navigation, and reproduction, and how acoustic signals can inform studies of behaviour, population monitoring, and community ecology.
• Field Recording and Study Design: Practical training in acoustic recorder setup, microphone configuration, survey design, and deployment strategies for both focal species monitoring and broader soundscape recording.
• Acoustic Data Analysis and Interpretation: Learn skills in species-level annotation and measurement in Raven; automated detection and classification using BirdNET; and ecoacoustic and soundscape analysis using Kaleidoscope. Participants will interpret acoustic outputs in the context of biodiversity assessment and conservation decision-making.

WHERE 

The course is hosted at the Skukuza Research Station, home of the Skukuza Science Leadership Initiative (SSLI), located within Kruger National Park, South Africa. As one of Africa’s leading conservation landscapes, Kruger provides an exceptional setting for field-based training in applied biodiversity monitoring.