Morning in the Cloud Forest in Guatemala

It’s early morning at Sierra de las Minas and it has been raining all night. While the downpour has subsided, there is still plenty of fog and the humidity is intense. A myriad droplets are falling on to vegetation, creating a constant chorus of geophony. Birdsong is a bit more sparse at this elevation, but it’s by no means absent. Dawn choruses here are understated but beautiful.

One thing is conspicuously absent though, and that is the distant sound of human activity. There are villages a few dozen kilometres away but there’s a very steep escarpment between them and the national park. The road to the core zone of the park is a muddy track only suitable for 4x4s and seasoned drivers. Even so, we had to abandon our vehicle a few kilometres before reaching the research station and to walk the rest because the recent rains had made the track impassable.

Sierra de las Minas is one of Mesoamerica’s largest cloud forests. It is home to breathtaking beauty and fascinating biodiversity, both reflected in its natural soundscapes. As a sound recordist, it’s a dream assignment to be here and to document the sounds of the cloud forest. My only hope is that I can do it justice in the limited time I have. Fortunately I have a small team of very dedicated scientists and rangers who will help me explore and record as much as we can here.