Visual landscapes have long been recognized as a resource deserving of protection — whether it’s vistas from the Blue Ridge Parkway or the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley. But soundscapes, whether it’s the natural sounds of creeks, birds and bugs or simply the absence of man-made sounds — are gradually being recognized as a natural resource as well.

“Your average family saves a lot of time and money to take their family on vacation and get away from the clamor of everyday life,” said Karen Trevino with the National Park’s Natural Sounds Program.

Hiking up the spine of a Hawaiian volcano, only to be inundated by some of the 80,000 flightseeing tours conducted annually over the Hawaiian national parks, is a disappointment in the least. And the experience of a visitor contemplating the grandeur of Mount Rushmore from the ground can be ruined by the buzzing of flightseeing tours across the face of the massive carving.

But the intrusion on soundscapes from flightseeing is impacting wildlife as well.

“There are many species that are dependent on the ability to hear to find food or to avoid becoming someone else’s food,” Trevino said. Being able to hear mating calls is crucial for reproduction and mating, whether it’s bugling elk or songbirds, Trevino said. Animals also use sound to define territories and alarm others to a predator nearby. Or it is simple as a woodpecker listening for bugs in a tree.

For too long, sound has been considered a “given,” Trevino said.

“It’s almost inherent until all of a sudden when it comes threatened,” Trevino said. The Natural Sounds initiative has been gaining popularity with parks around the country trying to address sound pollution.

In the Smokies, sound research is being conducted at the Appalachian Highlands Research Center perched on the Cataloochee Divide in the Haywood County portion of the park. A microphone captures a sound stream 24 hours a day.

“People are really acknowledging and realizing sounds are a resource,” Trevino said.