Sound Around Town is a citizen science project aimed at documenting soundscapes and their effect on people. The primary volunteer activities involve borrowing and deploying specialized equipment from the National Park Service to record soundscapes around one’s home, and answering a questionnaire about natural and anthropogenic sounds and noise. The National Park Service will use the recordings to improve the National Sound Map program (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/index.htm). NCSU researchers will use the data to map disparities in noise pollution across and among neighborhoods and
cities in the US.

By participating in Sound Around Town, you are consenting to: (1) share the location of your home confidentially with researchers, (2) use your library card to borrow sound recording equipment from your local library OR have a local scientists deliver the devise to your home, (3) deploy recording equipment on your home property for a 2-week period, (4) answer questions about sounds you hear on your property, and (5) return all equipment and recordings to the library OR have a local scientist pick it up. We keep all information about you confidential, including precise information on residence locations, and individual identities are anonymous in all reports and publications. Project data are stored on a secure server in a password-protected database, accessible only to the researchers.

Participants will be offered the option of borrowing an air quality sensor called AirBeam, which they can opt to deploy and share data with the AirCasting platform (http://aircasting.org/) which displays data locations publicly. If Sound Around Town researchers access AirCasting data to examine in conjunction with soundscape data, all reports and publications will maintain confidentiality regarding precise information on residence locations and individual identities.

There is no compensation for participating. The benefits of participating are learning how your neighborhood soundscape compares to others in your city, as well as how your city compares to other cities, and overall, helping scientists understand how soundscapes impact people and wildlife.

If you have questions about the research, please contact caren.cooper@naturalsciences.org

If you feel your rights as a citizen scientist in Sound Around Town have been violated during the course of this project, contact Jennifer Ofstein, Regulatory Compliance Administrator, Box 7514, NCSU Campus
(919/515-4514).