Tag Archives: Jungfrau Region

How do humans fit in?

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How humans fit in…

Landscape, humans, animals…how do the humans fit in? Is there a preferred way for interaction between humans and animals in the landscape? In the Berner Oberland Jungfrau Region this photo shows an autumnal parade in the village, celebrating the return of the animals from the upper alps, the upper pastures, to their home barns.

The animals are celebrated, applauded and cheered by the villagers twice a year. In the early summer when they leave the village heading up to mountain pastures and then in the fall when they return.

The animals wear decorative headdresses made by humans from pasture and woodland wild flowers and leaves.

I wonder if the energy expended by humans and animals in the landscape, combined with human attitudes of service, duty and reverence, add together to help generate a healthy feeling in the landscape–despite the avalanches, despite the rock and landslides, despite the flash floods.

Today, after seven hundred years of humans managing forests, pastures, animals, villages and themselves, this Berner Oberland Jungfrau Region landscape attracts visitors from every corner of the world to have their breath taken away by the actual beauty and the aura this landscape brings to all.

The Relinking Chain

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For seven hundred years the local Berner Oberland farmers have organized, and agreed how to manage this mountain landscape, rich in water and soil, but limited in arable land.

The food chain of Berner Oberland sustainable agriculture has worked for nearly a millennium.

Now over the last century, the advent of tourism–itself is a mark of increasing affluence–has thrown a bunch of new challenges at these farmers. They continue to work through them.

But the landscape–look at it–it is cared for–the animals are cared for–it is beautiful and beautifully managed. This image depicts the essence of human stewardship of the landscape.

Where is the Water

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When I look at these Berner Oberland landscapes–filled with fresh water, snow, ice, I am amazed by their inherent wealth and health. I am awed by their physical presence.

For decades I lived around that Empty Quarter arid sand desert of my most recent posts; but I needed refreshment, I needed recharge, so I regularly retreated to these water rich mountains.

These two geographies, one lifeless and the other full of life, put me in contact with the extreme ends of the water continuum of life.

Landscape astounds me.

Landscape journeys enthrall me.

LandArt2014 Gletscherschlucht

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French LandArt2014 Entry captures from where our roots come and to where our roots go…

 

On my way to the Gletscherschlucht, between the Eiger and the Shreckhorn, I found in the forest the existing remnants of Grindelwald’s LandArt 2014.

LandArt2014 asks the artists to find their raw materials in the adjacent forest itself.  Then the art goes through the transitional cycles of time and decomposition.  Some of the 14 entries had already merged with the forest.  Others were still visible.  I liked the one above by a team from France.

Pascal Imhof has produced an HD Virtual Reality of the French entry–and from this link you can see VRs of all LandArt2014 entries.

These are the people responsible for the French LandArt 2014 Entry.