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Birrarung That Speaks

2025
Collaborative Project

Soundscape map
Designed by Raven Li

Collecting public experiences at Birrarung RiverFest

Birrarung That Speaks is a citizen participation design project that uses “sound” as a way of reconnecting people with the river ecosystem. The experience works similarly to music recognition apps: when people hear a sound by the river, they can record it through their phone, and the system will help identify the species while providing related information. At the same time, the anonymous recording — including its time and location — becomes part of a growing ecological sound archive for environmental research.

These recordings are combined with data about species habitats, land use, and urban development within an interactive map. Rather than simply identifying sounds, the project helps people understand how nonhuman life is shaped by human activity, and why certain species appear in specific parts of the river.

The project emerged from research into the contemporary condition of the Birrarung (Yarra River). Ecological conditions along the river are closely tied to the distribution of space, while land development, water management, and urban planning are often shaped by unequal power structures. As a result, some river areas and nonhuman habitats experience disproportionate environmental pressure. Yet these issues are often hidden within policy documents and expert knowledge, making it difficult for the public to recognise their relationship with the river.

In response, the project approaches design as a tool for redistributing attention. By beginning with the simple question, “What did I just hear?”, it invites people to engage with the river through everyday sensory experience, gradually becoming aware that they share the same ecosystem with many forms of nonhuman life.

The project was inspired by Wright et al.’s (2016) concept of “co-becoming” from Co-becoming Bawaka, which understands place as a relational network shaped by both humans and more-than-human life. In this context, design is not only about presenting information, but about creating the conditions for relationships to emerge. Through a process of awareness, exploration, contribution, and action, the project aims to transform personal curiosity into long-term care and public responsibility for the river.