Terra

Can I use the Terra Listens app without a Terra Station? Yes! You have several global streaming locations to choose from for free. Just download the app and you’ll be streaming birdsong from any of our free curated locations in no time. Purchasing a Terra Station lets you listen to and identify your backyard or garden birds as well, and contribute to the Terra conservation network. Does the Terra Station work worldwide? Terra Station will allow you to listen to birds in your yard around the globe. The identification feature currently works best in North America and Europe, but does work in many parts of the world, and part of our core mission is to create an ID engine that works everywhere, and not just for birds - amphibians, insects, bats, and anything that makes a sound is part of the plan! . The power supply for Terra is worldwide, so you simply need a plug adapter (from USA style) to use it anywhere. How much does the Terra app cost? The Terra Listens app is free to use by anyone. How can you track bird migration with sound? Great question! Terra uses a very important characteristic of birds called flight calls. Most birds migrate at night, and when they do they let out periodic little chirps and cheeps - flight calls - that are specific to their species. In other words, they call out their names! So by listening to the sky we can hear exactly what species are flying over, and in what volumes. With a group of Terras, we will be able to accurately track those migrations all over the country, and eventually the world. Can Terra really detect butterflies? Yes! The radio sensors in Terra Station will pick up radio-tagged animals including butterflies. In 2025 we expect more than 2500 Monarch butterflies to be tagged with miniscule radio transmitters, and the Terra network will be able to track their movements as part of an ongoing program to reverse their population decline. Why listen to nature? Aside from it being fun? Well for one thing, recent studies have shown that listening to natural sounds can help relax and focus your mind, and reduce stress levels. Connecting to nature can be an almost spiritual experience for many people, and being able to listen while you work, sleep, or just relax is an easy way to get reconnected. Is the Terra Station easy to use? Do I need any unique tech skills or wildlife knowledge? Yes, the Station and companion app are both easy and simple to use (only requiring basic setup and instructions) and No, you don't need any special skills or knowledge. We offer full support as well – just contact us at support@terra.zohodeks.com and we’re available to answer any questions you may have about using the Terra Station and app. We also have a substantial set of articles about all aspects of Terra in our Knowledgebase. Does the Terra Station have to be plugged in? Is there a way to use a battery or solar power? Terra comes with a plug and requires power. You can lengthen the 10m/30ft power cable with optional extensions to up to 50m/150ft. We are also developing a solar panel/battery solution that will allow users to operate the Terra anywhere. Does the Terra Station need Wifi? Yes, Terra requires a wifi connection, which is usually supplied by the user's home wifi network. How far away can the Terra Station be from my Wifi router? This is hard to answer, since it depends on your wifi network setup, home layout and yard size, but Terra comes with an antenna that works in most home setups. We also offer a longer antenna for situations where you need an extra boost to reach your network. Can I run Terra Station away from a Wifi Network? Although Terra requires wifi, that wifi can be supplied with a Wifi Hotspot or even a satellite link, which means you can place a Terra almost anywhere on earth and it will run autonomously. There are some monthly costs associated with these setups, but they are modest, especially for research projects. How do I setup my Terra Station? You connect your Terra Station to your wifi network via the Terra Listens app, available for iOS and Android on the App Store and Google Play Store respectively. Once you sign in/register, just tap “Setup a Terra” on the main screen or in the menu and you’ll be guided through the steps. There are also many helpful articles on setup in our Knowledgebase. Do I need any additional equipment to listen to my Terra Station? No, you can stream your Terra through the app or website to your headphones, phone or computer speaker, or an external bluetooth speaker. Can I listen to my Terra Station through the web? Yes! Simply go to terralistens.com/login and login to your account, and you’ll see your connected Terra Station(s) and can view and play them the same as in the app. Can I listen to my Terra Station through HomePod, Alexa, etc? We are currently developing modules to allow home automation systems to play Terra. The first system will be Alexa, and we will develop others after that. Can I listen to my Terra Station when I’m away from my home? Yes! You can listen to your Terra via the app or website wherever you have an internet connection. Can I share my Terra Station with friends and family? Yes! Terra allows you to stream to multiple devices simultaneously. Anyone with the name and password for the account can stream your Terra Station, and we support multiple streams (within reason). Please be judicious about whom you share your credentials with, just as with any other account. Can I take my Terra Station on vacation / to my friends / to my summer home, etc? Yes! So long as you have power and wifi, feel free to take your Terra wherever you’d like. When you get to a new location you’ll need to do an initial setup just as when you first installed your Terra Station, but after that Terra will remember your credentials and you can just plug it in when you return. Can Terra listen to bats? Not yet - bats use frequencies that are beyond normal microphones (over 20 KHz), and require special equipment to pick up. But bat detection is high on our list and we'd like to produce either a version of Terra or an accessory that will extend its listening range into those specialized frequencies. Can Terra filter out external noises? Yes. Terra has some basic tools for filtering out certain frequencies, including low sounds like road noise and machinery. You can find the tools as part of Featherworks, our feature development site - featherworks.terralistens.com Can Terra filter out human voices? Not yet. We are currently working on AI driven filters that will remove or obfuscate human voices from the Terra stream, but they aren’t quite ready. Does Terra record me? How do you protect privacy? Terra does not record continuous audio. You can only listen to your own Terra, live, but that encrypted stream is not recorded, and can only be accessed with your name and password.If a bird song is detected, only that short audio clip is saved (usually .5-5 seconds long). That means that, at most, there are very short, non-contiguous recordings, which are only accessible by you and by researchers authorized to use the database. Audio is also securely transmitted over Bluetooth locally within your home and securely transmitted and encrypted to your smartphone. Note that some local jurisdictions outside the USA, Canada, UK, EU, AU/NZ have special requirements and we will comply with any local regulations. What is Terra's Relationship with Motus? Terra is the first soundscape + radio tracking hybrid—capable of detecting CTT tags already in use by leading wildlife researchers. We’re working with the Motus team to expand data-sharing pathways and help Terra detections contribute to this powerful global network.

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