CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Nature Center has constructed the region's first-of-its-kind ear-nocular, a unique wooden structure designed to amplify the surrounding sounds of nature.
The cylindrical installation, measuring 12 feet long and 7 feet high, sits just off the Wildflower Trail at Rowe Woods. Visitors are encouraged to step inside the megaphone-shaped structure and listen to the forest sounds.
"It is the first in the region, so of course, it's going to be a bit unfamiliar to people," said Susan Maggard with the Cincinnati Nature Center.
Maggard said the idea originated when a staff member discovered a similar structure in Estonia. The project was completed by a volunteer group called the Thursday Gang alongside the nature center's facilities team.
"[The Thursday Gang] are very talented builders and thinkers, and they come out and join our also talented facilities team to do different projects around the nature center," Maggard said.
From inside the structure, guests can hear enhanced sounds of forest life that might otherwise go unnoticed.
"You can hear the scurrying squirrels on the forest floor or... encounter a deer, a fawn just walking through the woods," said Robin Brown. "We also have a stream nearby, and when we're not in the dry season, you can hear it even from this distance."
The installation's location along the Wildflower Trail is intentionally kept somewhat hidden, making the discovery part of the adventure for visitors exploring Rowe Woods.
See and hear the nature center's ear-nocular in the video below:
