top of page

About Voices of the Forest

Tropical Flower

The power of creation inherent in Nature is perhaps the greatest example of creativity on Earth. Nature is constantly manifesting itself in multiple forms through the great cycle of creation and destruction. Contrary to the traditional conception that defines Nature as something separate from the human being, our vision is based on its integration into it. Based on this approach, it has been shown that when humans come into contact with Nature, particularly with healthy natural areas, they return to a state of natural internal balance. This state makes it possible to stimulate inspiration and creativity processes more easily. Great examples of art inspired by it can be seen in masterful works such as Vivaldi's 4 seasons, Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings and even in Gaudi's architecture. The predominant cultural model tends to distance us from Nature, however the ability to link ourselves to it is something intrinsic to humans.

We want to enable the connection with Nature as a way of power to go inward. Nature, as that “outside space”, is the perfect medium for self-knowledge, “going inward”; However, people often do not know how to do it. We propose to generate ways so that people can get closer to these spaces within a living Nature. We achieve this in a different way: through the exploration of sound. Sound has been used as an inexhaustible source of information over the years, because thanks to sound we can know the environment that surrounds us, develop many of our daily activities and even reach states of plenitude and inner silence. Sound is also a clear indicator of health, we can see it from the palpitation rate of our heart to the acoustic complexity of a tropical forest.

What it is?

Voices of the Forest, a project that houses different ecological initiatives whose purpose is to promote human awareness and regeneration, using sensory methodologies based on listening to Nature. It encourages the creation of spaces for interdisciplinary exploration between ecoacoustics, ecotherapy and art to promote the appreciation of natural areas as a source of life, health and inspiration, thus strengthening the human-nature bond.

Why Ecuador?

Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world
and therefore, rich in natural sounds as well.

The Team

Pao profile.jpeg

Paola Moscoso
Founder, Director

PhD biologist specialized in ecoacoustics at the University of Sussex. Her  love for animals and nature led her to study biology.  She has been working for more than 15 years in research and conservation of tropical forests and threatened species of Ecuador; being part of the Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN. She has travelled around the world visiting wild areas, including Antartic lands. where she was a scientist delegate of Ecuador in 2011.  Her focus of research is based on understanding the use of sounds as indicators of the health of an ecosystem and the importance of soundscape of quality for humans.

Paola has been trained in holistic areas such as meditation and energy healing, being part of the Clairvision and Munay Suyu schools of personal development. She also has an ecotherapy training from the Earth Body Institute in California. She has explored arts such as African-American music, participating in musical groups in Ecuador and England. Her photographic work has been exposed in exhibitions in her home country.

Her scientific training and experience in the fields of arts and personal development have led her

to create integrative and multidisciplinary projects such as Voces del Bosque, of which

she is the founder.

Click here to see more of her work.

Gus profile.jpeg

Gustavo Chiriboga
Audiovisual communicator

He is an independent filmmaker and storyteller. He has a master's degree in performing arts from Montpellier 3 in France and ten years of practical experience. His line of work has been quite diverse and he has collaborated on projects ranging from advertising to feature films. He is madly in love with our planet, Mother Earth, Ecuador and its cultures. That is why it specializes above all in audiovisual narration with ecological content. He currently directs the video coordination of the Network of Seed Guardians, an organization that brings together more than 100 families with permacultural projects throughout the country. Gustavo is also passionate about self-development and ancient knowledge. He has been for several years a student at the MunaySuyu temple-school of Inka wisdom, with which he creates content. He is also the editor of the school's latest film, which won best film at the Quetzalcoatl Indigenous Film Festival in 2021. He works with wise women and men in different traditions throughout the United States, in order to share their messages and motivate humans to remember the ways of Nature. His work is currently shown on international streaming platforms such as Gaia Network and Inti.tv.

Collaborators

Photography Sofía Zapata C_B.jpg

Sozapato
 
Artistic support

Sozapato (Sofía Zapata) is a graphic designer, Bachelor of Plastic Arts, Master of the illustrated children's book and actress in the theatrical collective Chalata Clown. Her work as an illustrator has been published and exhibited in countries such as: Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Italy, China, Turkey, Iran, England and the United Arab Emirates. In 2019 she is selected as one of the 500 best young illustrators in the Chinese publication Posts & Telecom Press. In 2020 the New York Times in Spanish publishes its illustrated text "Inevitable Metamorphosis" and this same year it is a finalist and honorable mention in the graphic design category at the 7th Ibero-American Design Biennial in Madrid – Spain.

In 2021 she is invited to the international exhibition Aeroarte, she is selected for the exhibition Children Spectators in Bologna, selected for Sharjah Exhibition for Children's Books Illustrations in the UAE and for the exhibition of bridge posters in Iran. In addition, he obtains the second place in the international illustration competition of Amanuta in Chile. This same year his book "Under Today" is selected to be part of the Cerlalc-IBBY Catalogue of LIJ and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

tasting.jpg

Cata Lizarzaburo
Artistic support

Visual and plastic artist. I paint since I was little and I feel art as an innate gift that I have perfected over the years. He trained as a digital and visual artist in Ecuador. His artistic training has been complemented by a process of self-knowledge. On trips to countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, the United States and Paraguay, he continued with his training. He has also ventured into different artistic branches such as music, sculpture, theater, dance and cinema. Art for her is a process of expression and creation of the spirit. In recent years, he has taught courses and workshops to children and adults in Ecuador related to artistic expression, such as painting and plastic expression, within natural areas. Share the infinite possibilities of art as a means of personal and collective evolution.

sacha ñampi.png
Logo_Wind Assembly.png
CETACEA ECUADOR LOGO transparent.png
golden logo high definition.png
brand-mcyp-government-ecuador-201910.png
Ecoforensic Logo.png
bottom of page