Paul Smith’s College VIC Announces New Sound-Focused Attraction

Sep 4, 2023 | Featured, News, The Latest



Paul Smiths, NY – The Paul Smith’s College’s Visitors Interpretive Center (VIC) announced the completion of a Forest Megaphone on its accessible Barnum Brook Trail. The Forest Megaphone, an oversized wooden megaphone large enough for adults to sit or laydown in, amplifies surrounding natural noise for those seeking a deeper sensory experience in the outdoors. The VIC hopes the Forest Megaphone will prompt guests to focus on their soundscape (the combined sounds present at a location) and create a new way to interact with and appreciate nature.

The installation was the final phase of a student capstone project by recent graduate Tyler Roszman and overseen by Paul Smith’s College Professor, Dr. Melanie Johnson. “It was a pleasure working with Tyler on his capstone project. Paul Smith’s College specializes in experiential learning, and it was wonderful to see a student develop, design, and complete a real-life project,” said Dr. Johnson.

The location was selected after exhaustive review and acoustic analysis throughout the VIC’s three thousand acres. The Barnum Brook site was chosen because of its accessibility, limited anthropogenic noise and high level of natural sound from the brook itself. The Forest Megaphone will also provide a unique attraction not found elsewhere in the Northeast.

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