This is Not a Silent Spring : Listening to bird songs as situated sustainable pedagogies.

The article focuses on the workshop *This is Not a Silent Spring*, held in May 2023 at Casas Pintadas in Évora, Portugal, as part of ELIA Academy 2023 under the theme "Exploring Situatedness." The workshop engaged participants in a place-based, nature-centered pedagogical experience involving immersion in sixteenth-century bird frescoes, attentive listening to local bird songs, and the creative interpretation of these sounds into onomatopoeic words crafted from gathered plant materials. This process aimed to deepen environmental awareness and foster a multisensory connection with non-human inhabitants amid contemporary ecological anxieties, particularly the threat of a "silent spring" caused by species extinction. The activity highlighted linguistic and cultural differences in interpreting bird sounds and emphasized the role of embodied artistic practice in promoting creativity, mental well-being, and ecological sensitivity.