A new research project led by Dr Liam Healy is examining how design and behaviour change can help humans and nature share the same space more carefully, following increased footfall in spaces like Redmires Reservoir since the COVID-19 pandemic.
As more visitors head to natural beauty spots like Redmires Reservoir in the years since Covid-19, the wildlife that calls these places home faces unprecedented pressure. Species including curlew, lapwing, and water voles are struggling under the weight of increased footfall. These are creatures you’re far more likely to hear than see. Now, researchers at the University of Sheffield are exploring what would happen if we taught people to really listen.
A new project led by Liam Healy from the School of Architecture is examining how design and behaviour change can help humans and nature share the same space more carefully. Working in partnership with Yorkshire Water and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the team is testing whether actively listening to a place fundamentally changes how people relate to it. More importantly, it tests whether it changes how they treat it.
The approach involves giving community members professional sound recording equipment and inviting them to participate in workshops at Redmires. Participants are asked to map what they hear and capture the soundscape of the reservoir, rather than just simply observing wildlife.
“From the human perspective, you can have a really rich, exciting, interesting experience on that site, and by being attentive and by caring for that site, you can potentially see an increase in biodiversity,” explains Healy. By fostering these more close, empathetic relationships through sound, the team hopes to activate a deeper emotional connection to the landscape.
Recent workshops at Redmires have brought together members of the public, Yorkshire Water staff, and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to test this approach. Participants have been equipped with recording devices and asked to listen carefully to the site, reflecting on their connection to the place. The aim is straightforward but powerful. When you know what’s there and understand what your actions are doing to a space, you’re far more likely to engage with it thoughtfully and with care.
Healy’s work will eventually expand beyond Redmires, but for now the focus remains on ground-nesting birds, curlew, and water voles at the reservoir. The team plans to produce practical guidance on how natural sites can welcome visitors while protecting the wildlife and environment that make them special. By putting listening and understanding at the heart of the work, they’re offering a model for how people and nature might coexist more successfully.