The first shepherds of 2010 in the Koli National Park begin their
work on the Seppälä farm this week. The shepherd’s job has found great favour
with the audience: over a hundred interested people from around Finland inquired
about the shepherding weeks. However, the National Park could only accommodate
eleven of the quickest inquirers and provide them with a week of wool-scented
experiences. This year this popular model of adventure travel can also be found
at sheep farmer Jyrki Suikkanen’s Nevala heritage farm, on the fringe of Koli
National Park.
Over the three last summers,
the Seppälä smallholding in Koli National Park, managed by Metsähallitus, has
had visiting shepherds tending to the daily requirements of the sheep that were
placed there to manage the land by grazing. An important task is to carry water
to the pasture which, on a hot day, may be necessary several times. When the
grass has been eaten on one pasture, the herder moves the sheep to another one.
The general condition of the sheep must also be monitored and counting sheep is
not a wasted task either. Shepherds are welcome to participate in other park
management tasks, too, if they wish.
A week-long shepherding contract has been made for each of these jobs. As
well as the main building, the herder has the use of the smoke sauna located on
the grounds.
Participation in the shepherding weeks is chargeable. The fee covers
maintenance costs and nature management costs. In other words, the fee for the
shepherding week is a contribution to nature management with which the herder
buys an extraordinary experience in the National Park and its nature and a
wool-scented cottage holiday. Going by the experiences of previous shepherds,
the week may turn out to be something quite different to an ordinary week at the
cottage in the country!
In Koli National Park, animals also contribute to preserving the cultural
landscape. Summertime landscape maintenance in the park’s heritage farms is done
by both Finnish sheep and “kyyttö”, the rare Eastern Finnish cattle
breed.
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