ES Learning Community


Eclipse Soundscapes collected sound data and observations from the October 2023 annular and April 2024 total solar eclipses to study their impact on U.S. ecosystems. As we process and share this data, we’ll provide updates through webinars, social media, and our email list. We’ll also highlight similar projects, so stay involved for more insights!
Upcoming Webinars
The Ups and Downs of Data Gathering on Balloons
April 29, 2025 3pm EDT


During the solar eclipses of October 2023 and April 2024, 53 Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP) teams across the country launched balloons carrying instruments to gather data about the effect of the eclipse on the atmosphere. There were numerous challenges, some expected and some not, associated with gathering a wide set of meaningful data, then performing quality control procedures on that data, and ultimately documenting and posting it for public access and general use. The Eclipse Soundscapes (ES) community knows these challenges well, having worked through similar complexities in collecting, processing, and analyzing large-scale sound data from the 2023 & 2024 eclipses. NEBP will speak with the ES community to share their experiences in overcoming these challenges, discussing both their project’s approach and broader best practices for managing large experimental datasets.
Preliminary Findings – How Eclipses Affect Nature as determined by Sound
May 7, 2025 2pm EDT
Join us for a fun and fascinating webinar on solar eclipse soundscapes, designed for middle and high schoolers, but open to all! Dr. Brent Pease, an expert in wildlife conservation and participatory science, will share early findings from the audio data collected during the 2023 and 2024 Total Solar Eclipses.
During the eclipse, volunteer scientists used sound recorders to capture how animals and the environment reacted to the sudden darkness in the middle of the day. What changes in sound did they record? How does an eclipse affect the behavior of birds, insects, and other wildlife? Dr. Pease will walk us through these questions and reveal what scientists are uncovering from this large-scale research effort.
This interactive session will highlight the importance of participatory science and how anyone, no matter their background, can contribute to real scientific discoveries. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions during the live webinar. If you’re not sure you can attend, we still encourage you to sign up! Everyone who registers will receive a follow-up email with details on how to access the free webinar recording, which will typically be available within 48 hours. Click here to register for the May 7 webinar.
Previous ES Learning Community Webinars
Eclipse Soundscapes: Partnering with the public to illuminate the effect of eclipses on wildlife
Recorded February 28, 2025
In this talk, Brent Pease discussed how darkness during the day affected wildlife and highlight the power of the public in large-scale research. Dr. Pease played a key role in the Eclipse Soundscapes project as a facilitator, organizing and engaging almost 100 volunteers to participate as Data Collectors during the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. These volunteers deployed AudioMoth devices to capture soundscapes from various sites, contributing to a large-scale participatory science effort. Now, Dr. Pease is collaborating with the Eclipse Soundscapes team to analyze all of the collected Eclipse Soundscapes data, helping to uncover how eclipses influence animal behavior through sound.
Brent Pease is an assistant professor in the Forestry Program at Southern Illinois University, where he researches and teaches topics in wildlife conservation and management. He earned his doctorate in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from North Carolina State University. A native of southern Illinois, Dr. Pease enjoys being back in the region to raise his family among the public lands and state parks of Illinois.
Echoes of the Night Sky: How AudioMoth Technology is Enhancing Nocturnal Migration Research
Recorded October 23, 2024
On October 23, 2024 Eclipse Soundscapes hosted a community webinar, where attendees learned how AudioMoth devices donated by the Eclipse Soundscapes project will be contributing to scientific research. Brad Bumgardner, Executive Director at Indiana Audubon, introduced their pilot program, Echoes of the Night Sky, which focuses on nocturnal migration monitoring in Indiana. This initiative, launched in Spring 2024, aimed to collect data on nocturnal flight calls to better understand bird migration patterns. The donated AudioMoth devices will help to expand the program.
Closed Captioning Information
Due to a technical issue with the Closed Captioning (CC) for the October 23 webinar recording, you can instead download the October 23 transcript as a PDF here.
Harnessing AudioMoths for Nighttime Nature Conservation
Recorded 8/21/2024
In this recorded Eclipse Soundscapes Community webinar, Don Ficken of Dark Sky Missouri discussed two projects using AudioMoths, donated by the Eclipse Soundscapes community, to protect nature at night. The first project, Nocturnal Flight Calls – Lights Out Heartland, analyzes nocturnal bird calls during migration to encourage turning off lights at night. The second project captures nighttime sounds to connect the public and conservationists with nocturnal wildlife and promote reducing outdoor lighting. Both projects are being piloted in St. Louis with plans to expand. The webinar highlighted how AudioMoths support scientific exploration. You can also read more in our August Blog post titled “Blog – Dark Sky Missouri Uses AudioMoths to Study Nature at Night.”
Audio Data Upload & Processing Information Webinar
Recorded 5/28/2024
In the May 28 Audio Data Upload and Processing Information Webinar, the Eclipse Soundscapes team shared our progress on uploading and processing audio data from the 2023 Annular solar eclipse and the 2024 total solar eclipse and our plans for managing the large volume of data.
Post Eclipse Webinar: Participation Stats & Data Processing Insights
Recorded 4/30/2024
In this webinar following the 2024 eclipse, the Eclipse Soundscapes (ES) team discusses the participation numbers for the Eclipse Soundscapes Project and explains Stage 1 of initial data processing, which involves receiving online location information and physical MicroSD cards from ES Data Collectors and organizing and sorting those submissions to prepare for audio data upload and computer processing.
To view the Google Slides used in this webinar click here.