Shepherds of the Quìpar Valley

During a four-month research project organized by the Regeneration Academy, Britt Veltman and I immersed ourselves in the shepherding culture of the Quipar Valley in Murcia, Spain. The research began broadly, focusing on “what is disappearing in the valley,” where we investigated various things that are disappearing here. We focused primarily on the question:

‘‘What emerges from what is disappearing?’’

This curiosity brought us back to the shepherds time and time again. This is a dying profession, and there are only about five shepherds left in this valley. There used to be around 20 or 30...

Why is this beautiful profession disappearing, and what can we learn from this lifestyle that is still so closely connected to the landscape?

Over a period of four months, we accompanied the shepherds from this dry area several times. We asked them questions about their profession and observed them while walking with their flocks. It soon became clear that there is a triangular relationship between shepherd, flock, and the landscape. These three elements are constantly dependent on each other. The shepherd leads the flock in the right direction to graze. He communicates this to the sheep by using his unique call. The sheep know where to go to graze and ensure that the landscape remains intact.

The herd is particularly important in this dry region in southern Spain, as it prevents many forest fires. Besides that they also spread various seeds across the landscape with their wool, which, combined with their manure and trampling, fills the landscape with diverse biodiversity.

A profession that takes care of the landscape and the animals, but receives little appreciation or support from the local community or the government. With this project, we are trying to bring attention to the beauty and importance of shepherding in this valley.

During the last weekend of our time in Murcia, we gathered everyone we had worked with at La Junquera to conclude our research and share our findings. We’ve hosted a dinner for the four shepherds we’ve followed in the past few months and their family’s. Eating together is very bonding, which was precisely the purpose of this evening. The event was an opportunity to thank everyone, including the shepherds and to exhibit fragments of our research. On the long dinner table there were objects and photographs that we’ve collected. And there were quotes on all the plates that told something about the work of the shepherds and their reading of the landscape. On some plates were QR codes to scan that played the different calls of the shepherds to their flocks.

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