Amidst the rapidly accelerating technologies of the 21st century, the calming pace and cyclic rhythm of Mother Nature still persist in the forest. After spending only a few days with this young shepherd, his love for his work is apparent. A look towards the earth for the season, the air for the weather, and the sun for the time, Carlus knows the value of the elements that compose this life; the forest, the flock, and the shepherd are all in perfect harmony, and, without the trio, none could be.

To say it started just over 6 years ago, when Carlus Trijueque became a full-time shepherd, leaves out some crucial aspects of what being a shepherd means for him. Growing up in Palamós, from a very young age, Carlus would often accompany his father into Les Gavarres. From that point on, he knew the forest would be a part of his life. Some years later, Carlus drifted from the forest and wound up spending all his time living within the strict ‘rules’ of everyday life without the freedom to connect to nature as he once loved. Between the ages of 17 and 19 Carlus attempted a biology degree and forestry programme, but removed himself as these were too similar to the past he was trying to evade. Later, apprenticeships of basket weaving, animal husbandry, gardening and soil care prepared him for his life to come.

Now Carlus, a young man confronted with the fears of starting a life of his own, takes a sabbatical. Living alone on the edge of the sea in an old fishing shack built into a cave, he unties the knots of the stressful expectations of everyday life. Slowly he reconnects with nature: midnight swims at sea, his own garden, and alone with his thoughts. The fear is subsiding, but still prevalent. One night, upon opening a tunnel door, with a spotlight of a boat on his back, he feels a presence, and it all comes to fruition. Alone in the shack, to his alarm, is a full size life-like shadow of a man standing right in front of him. All the fears, accumulating in this specific sensation, gave him the knowledge he was there to find. Carlus Trijueque would become a shepherd.

Since the turn of the century, Carlus has been working with animals and arranging his preparations to fulfill his dream. During the next ten years Carlus is blessed with two children and a life that is gearing up to be everything he expected. In 2010, with an agreement with a property owner in Les Gavarres, Carlus purchased two sheep and five goats, and transitioned himself to a full-time shepherd. Due to the startup costs of this adventure it pained Carlus to take loans; a few of which he still owes. Living with the flock, slowly increasing the numbers by breeding the ewes that are the best mothers – and likewise with the rams – Carlus lives with over 300 in his herd and five working dogs; but not his family. Although they live just outside the forest, it is difficult to balance the slow life of a nomadic shepherd and the fast paced ways of society. There can be no one waiting for this shepherd with a dinner reservation, for example. The appointments upheld by this shepherd are only those granted to his flock: the next pasture for grazing, special attention to recent newborns, or the protection of his flock against loss or danger. Maintaining the method of all year grazing allows the flock to pick the best organic grasses and herbs directly from the earth. Without a tractor and currently unable to cultivate certain lands he once did, the nomadic approach is necessary during winter months.

Asking Carlus what is the best thing about being a shepherd, an easy response is given: Nothing is missed; every day is lived. The sun, the earth, the trees, the rivers, the birds, the rain, the Tramuntana – always experienced. The life that exists gets to be enjoyed to the fullest, every day. Contrarily, the worst part about being a shepherd is lack of resources. As Carlus navigates us through Les Gavarres he points to some pastures of significance and recounts a memory. A field adjacent to the road laid claim to where his kids learned to drive the tractor he had had, but after defaulting on his payments it is no longer in his possession. Because of this, and changes in property agreements, this field and others are no longer under his cultivation, reducing his capacity to maintain a large herd locally. If the slow life of a nomadic shepherd cannot be mixed with the life of children going to school, acting in plays, or playing basketball, it is of great desire to Carlus to develop a fully sustainable rhythm that incorporates all aspects of healthy life. Luckily, it is not far off.

Soon, once his debts are paid off, Carlus will embark on the next step of the process: earning just enough money from the flock to maintain their health and wellbeing while maintaining enough time to cultivate the local fields to feed them. In the scope of his dream, a tractor aligns with the lifestyle as it permits large scale grazing under the hands of one man. Carlus has ideas for how the health of the trio can thrive to the fullest, but being one man with a flock of three hundred, the progress is slow. Reaching out for help has increased the momentum. The flock offers the ability to sponsor a lamb or baby goat, follow their progress until adulthood and receive the meat when it is due. As with most investments, to pay in advance ensures your specific lamb reaches you with the utmost care. To learn the lifestyle of a nomadic shepherd in the forest Carlus offers the ability to “spend a day with the shepherd.” Currently available as well are weaving workshops. It is important to note this effort to bring in revenue is only to purchase a tractor and sustain the health and wellbeing of the flock because that is all a dedicated man living with his flock desires. To learn more, or to purchase a lamb, visit, RamatDeFitor.cat //