Dear Supporter

When I first learned of the One Square Inch of Silence I hadn’t actually considered that the number of “quiet” places in the United States can actually be counted. Certainly I had been concerned about clean air, clean water, and pollution in general. However, The more that I thought about it, the more I realized that there are extremely few people or organizations who are striving to save something as simple, yet essential, as places free from noise pollution. I had assumed that wilderness areas were protected. This is not the case. Even the most remote areas are penetrated with the sounds of air traffic, snowmobiles, far-off generators, to name but a few. As I continued thinking, I realized that we are quickly approaching a point of no return unless we act now. Just as the integrity of the water, air, and earth are vital to the survival of wildlife, so too, the audible environment plays a critical role in loving the Earth. Flora and fauna depend on the natural soundscape to find a mate, to avoid predators, to find food, and more. Humans need these places for solace and introspection. If we cannot establish just one square inch of natural silence that effectively protects more than one thousand square miles around it, then what will the future of our national parks be?

You can make a difference. Tell your friends and family about OSI. Let people know the importance of natural quiet and direct them to our website. Contact me or any of the other four board members with your ideas. And give a voice to silence by donating generously so that we can continue to carry on our valuable mission of creating the world’s first designated quiet place—a place where humans and wildlife alike can remain, undisturbed.

Sincerely,

Samara Kester, Executive Director, OSI