#INFO
In Singwarte workshops and lectures, we train the next generation of sound recordists dedicated to nature conservation. We foster a diverse and inclusive community in which academics, citizen scientists, and curious beginners alike can contribute to conservation. Building and strengthening this community is a central part of our mission.
Wildlife sound recordings provide valuable data for understanding species distribution and behavioural patterns, such as bird migration. Well-trained sound recordists are able to contribute high-quality datasets that can be directly applied in science and conservation efforts.
Beyond its scientific value, sound is also a powerful medium for connecting people with natural environments and raising awareness of conservation challenges.
That is why Singwarte was founded in 2007 as an educational platform.
#PatrickFranke
With a background in sound art, Patrick Franke has established himself as a leading wildlife sound recordist over the past decades. His work is characterized by a systematic approach to acoustic data collection, analogous to specimen-based collections in natural history museums. His archive comprises more than 30,000 catalogued recordings. The integration of this archive into the publicly accessible Macaulay Library is currently in progress.
Franke began leading wildlife sound recording and Bioacoustics workshops in 2007, most recently also for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
In 2023, he organized the first Singwarte sound recording expedition to Mongolia, followed by two regional field meetings in Germany. Franke regularly gives talks on ornithology, bioacoustics, and nature conservation.
Patrick Franke is a co-founder of the Bioacoustics Working Group of the German Ornithological Society, as well as the Finch Research Network, where he also serves as a board member.
Franke also served as Vice-chairman of the Wildlife Sound Recording Society.
His research interests focus on biogeography and the development of song in passerines (oscines).
#ClemensPitschke
Clemens Pitschke is an acoustical engineer and former sound engineer.
Building on his background and sustained interest in acoustics, audio technology, and sound recording, he has increasingly engaged with the disciplines of Bioacoustics and Ecoacoustics in recent years. Through workshops and lectures Pitschke is actively establishing his profile within these fields. In 2023 he was part of the Singwarte Mongolian Sound Expedition.
In 2021, he co-founded the multi-disciplinary sound exploration project Land.Schafft.Sound. within which he has organized and led workshops, as well as invited experts from diverse domains – including conservation, science, and music – who are engaged in sound recording practices.
Through his work, he aims to foster education, facilitate knowledge exchange, and contribute to conservation and citizen science initiatives by means of sound-based approaches.