QPI at TED 2026
Listening takes center stage
This April, Quiet Parks International (QPI) enters a new chapter.
At the invitation of sound pioneer Julian Treasure, QPI Chairperson Matthew Mikkelsen (featured above) will travel to Vancouver to deliver a 12-minute TED Talk — appearing alongside acclaimed author and ecologist David Haskell.
For nearly four decades, TED has amplified ideas that shape how we see — and hear — the world. This year, quiet joins that conversation.
For almost a decade, QPI has safeguarded the quietest places left on Earth — living landscapes where natural sound prevails and ecosystems still sing. Bringing this mission to a global audience is more than visibility; it is a gentle validation that protecting quiet matters.
We have always been listening.
Now, the world is listening too.
Protecting quiet is not a luxury. It is essential to human and planetary health.
From Sound to Experience
Beyond words. Into listening.
While David Haskell explores the power of sound and deep listening, Matthew will do something different.
He will transform the theatre itself.
Rather than simply speaking about quiet, Matthew will perform live — triggering carefully curated natural soundscapes in real time. The audience will not just hear about listening.
They will listen.
Less “talk.”
More immersive listening experience.
In a space known for powerful ideas, this moment will offer something rare: collective stillness.
A Listening Room
A possible refuge
Beyond the stage, there is also the possibility of creating a QPI Listening Room just outside the auditorium.
This space could serve as a quiet refuge during the conference — featuring a nature soundscape curated by Matthew. An oasis of calm amid the conference buzz.
A place where attendees can reset their nervous systems, slow their breathing, and reconnect with the living world.
In a gathering devoted to innovation, it would be a gentle reminder:
Sometimes the most radical act is to pause.
