of the alpine landscape, shapes their outline and encourages biodiversity. As for the sheep, they enjoy a natural and balanced diet, which guarantees quality meat. Some of the lambs from these herds are sold with the label “Agneau de Sisteron,” a sign of quality that has known a real success these last years. And the tastiest way to enjoy it is seasoned with thyme and rosemary .

mountain pastures, they guard the flock throughout the entire summer, keeping an eye on their health and managing their route in the mountain. In the old days, they made their way on foot. Today, the sheep are most often transported in trucks. Helicopters ensure the most demanding convoys and the maintenance of the equipment. Beyond the tradition, this practice contributes to the upkeep

from the spring, there’s no more grass to graze. All that’s left is a hard and woody yellow grass, which makes the sheep’s gums bleed. So then we fling open the barn doors and get ready for the slow climb to the cool Alps and the nourishing green grass there,” explained Jean Giono. They will return between September and November, before the snow covers the mountains again.

On both the way up and the way down, the shepherds accompany their flocks for the expedition. Once arrived in the high

Nature

Text and Photos Chantal Sarrazin - 2, November 2011

After four months spent grazing the mountain pastures, the sheep come back to the warmth of the protected reserve Les Coussouls de la Crau and the Camargue plains. Their return marks the end of the flock’s seasonal migration to summer pastures, signaling that the cooler months are on their way.

The Sheep Return

to the Fold

This migration is an enduring age-old tradition in Provence, taking place for the last 6,000 years. “Trans” means beyond, and “humus” land, as the voyage that this word refers to takes one beyond one’s original territory. It is a solution to the drought that holds sway in the summer which yellows the sparse pastures on the plains. Beginning in June, the flocks reach the closest mountains, specifically the Alps of Haute Provence, where the grass revives after the snow melts. “In Crau and Camargue, as soon as the sun returns,