THE town's community radio station has joined a forest project aimed at getting people to get outside. 

Wild Rumpus, the organisers behind the three-day Timber Festival that celebrates people’s connection to trees and woodlands, is teaming up with England’s Community Forests to create the first-ever Community Forest Sound Map.

People are invited to record a minute of audio when visiting a forest accompanied by a picture, which will then be added to a sound map. 

A radio series on Swindon 105.5 has been launched alongside the sound map which explores different themes around urban areas and forests. It features guests including This Morning GP, Dr Zoe Williams, podcaster Melissa Harrison and Black Girls Hike founder Rhiane Fatinikun.  

Swindon 105.5 manager Shirley Ludford said: “We’re running it on air to promote our local forest and woodland. Young people have the opportunity to get out into a green area.

“The show features different open areas we encounter and because of the programme it makes you more aware of birds and trees in bloom and just for that it will make you focus on the forest and be more aware of the opportunities.”

As a side project, Swindon 105.5 are producing a mini-series on forest woodland. 

Shirley added: “It’s an ongoing extra project we’re undertaking after the forest series has finished encouraging people to keep listening to sounds.”

The show airs on Sundays between 4-5pm and Thursdays between 9-10pm and is available on the app.

Shirley added: “We have hidden treasures and it’s amazing what we can discover in our area. Swindon has some lovely walks and paths.”

Each one-minute recording might include the sound of the wind in the trees or the birds singing, but it might also have the noise of children playing or the traffic in the background.  

The radio show, launched on March 21, has aired two episodes so far – entitled Forests for Health and Forests for Nature.

Producer Hayley Ashby said: “It became really popular and took off across the world. We have sounds from over 70 countries for the Sounds of the Forest project launched last year.” 

“Local green spaces are vibrant areas of this country and it shows how important these green spaces are. People living in and around towns and cities, not everyone has access to nature.”

Swindon 105.5 joins the Your Forest project based across forests, woodlands and parks in England. It brings together 11 radio stations across the country.

Hayley added: “Spending just a few minutes outside can improve your health and wellbeing and also how beneficial spending time in forests for nature can be.  

“Some people have really great access to green spaces but it should be part of your daily life and children should be exposed to it. It’s amazing how it makes you feel and you hear stuff you wouldn’t have heard before and things you might not have even thought about.”

Your Forest Sound Map is calling for local submissions. To submit go to www.wildrumpus.org.uk/yourforest