Ben Gottesman

Ben Gottesman is a former researcher for Platte Basin Timelapse. Ben is doctoral candidate at Purdue University’s Center for Global Soundscapes, where he is studying how the sounds of nature can teach us about biodiversity patterns and disturbance impacts in different ecosystems, including grasslands, coral reefs, and kelp forests. Intertwined with his research pursuits, Ben writes and performs music infused with his field recordings to promote environmental conservation, and loves teaching kids how to explore the natural world with their ears. With the Platte Basin Timelapse, he paired audio recorders with time-lapse cameras to learn about migration phenologies and “river rhythms”, and ended up discovering his favorite sound—the whooshing of crane wingbeats overhead.

Ben's Work

On August 21, 2017, the moon aligned between the earth and sun, casting a shadow that moved over the United States from Oregon to South Carolina, passing through Nebraska. Dubbed The Great American Eclipse, thousands of people flocked to the state to witness the once in a lifetime event. In addition to the thousands of […]