Study and Proposals to restore silence at the Jordà Beech Tree Nature Reserve

This work, commissioned by the Natural Park of the Volcanic Zone of the Garrotxa to the Silene Association in July 2013, aims to promote the recovery of silence in the natural reserve of the beechwood Fageda d’en Jordà, in order to allow visitors will enjoy the perception of the beauty and excitement of this exceptional forest.

The work consists of four parts. Part one provides the background and context of the consideration of the intangible heritage in protected natural areas, and analyze the one of the Fageda d’en Jordà. It also describes the visit to the Fageda d’en Jordà, its use and the impacts that are derived therefrom. Part two includes the oObjectives of the work: Improve the quality of the visit to the Fageda d’en Jordà, propose measures to reduce acoustic impacts, promote the integration of silence in the values ​​to protect and disseminate the proposed actions. Part three includes the diagnosis, focusing on aesthetic and acoustic aspects, based on a single study carried out on the visitors’ visits made in 1995, completed with their own observations.  Part fourth features the proposals to integrate silence as a value to be protected or recovered, and to reduce motor vehicle traffic noise and other mechanical noise, as well as the rumor created by some visitors. Specifically, Silene proposes the construction of an acoustic screen adjacent to the Olot-Santa Pau route, and implement a set of educational and awareness-raising strategies to reduce the noise of the different types of visitors, on foot, by car, horse or bicycle, suitable for each group. This will entail the inclusion of the value of silence in the training of the personnel of the Natural Park, the guides, and the collaborating tourism companies.

The study accompanies three annexes: Annex 1 consists of 6 descriptive and diagnostic maps; Annex 2 contains the profiles, elaborated by Joan Pijuan, GIS technician of the Natural Park. Appendix 3 corresponds to the work The silence at the Beechwood in Jordà. Preliminary study 2013, prepared by Dani Carrillo and Artitz Lakuntza, carried out in parallel with the writing of this study, which provides the first quantitative data of the noise level measured with the Fageda d’en Jordà sound level meter in November 2013.