The Western Soundscape Archive recognizes the vital connection between places and their soundscapes. It features audio recordings of animals and environments throughout the western United States. The project's geographic focus includes eleven contiguous western states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming - as well as baseline sound monitoring in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. These geographic boundaries were chosen to coincide with existing maps and data gathered by state and federal organizations. The WSA typically features three types of recordings: individual species, ambient soundscapes and interviews.