Once upon a time, one day at the School Ruta de
la Plata, what it seemed a normal school day (6th June 2025), became
a magical day when we heard the bleating of the little lamb Saky. She was
announcing her arrival: she had decided to introduce how her life as a
transhumant sheep was, at the school from the municipality of Huelva (Santa
Olalla del Cala).
From the second cycle of early childhood
education up to fifth grade of elementary school, through her creator Isabel
Ferrer, boys and girls, intrigued, had their eyes wide open very thoughtful
awaiting to see what was to come.
The ambiance turned into a rural scene, so the
activity could begin, with the story telling. Saky became the spotlight, and
the youngest ones couldn’t help but show their excitement.
The same occurred with the older ones (from third
to fifth grade), who also enjoyed the anecdotes of the puppet, who we thought
was Saky’s friend, but questioned the little lamb too much. However, it was just
a joke, they were really close-knit, and they clearly adored each other.
When the story was over, everyone stood up and
to their rooms they went, where the second part would commence. This activity consisted
of preparing a sheep craft for some children, who felt lucky to be able to use
real wool, while others built town houses where Saky used to cross. Although,
in the sensory part, where the wool could be smelt and touched, while some
enjoyed the texture and brought the wool up to their noses with curiosity,
others considered that it was a punishment, as, they let us know, that the “stink”
had knocked them down… “Miss, this smells terrible”. As the saying goes, there’s no accounting for
tastes and, in this case, “related to aroma, no one has a unique formula”. What
you cannot deny is that they connected directly with ancestral knowledge.
Regarding the last part, accompanied by the
percussion that the last grades played, we celebrated transhumance through the
villages where Saky, the little lamb, travelled. Each student was joining the
flock as it was growing, with more and more people joining along the way.
Amidst stories and carding combs, they had the
opportunity to travel with their imagination through the traditional network of
transhumance routes in Spain: Royal Drovers’ Roads (Cañadas Reales), the smaller
Drovers’ Tracks (Cordeles) and the local Drovers’ Paths (Veredas). Through these
routes, they were able to walk with shepherds and sheep… Likewise, they
discovered what transhumance is and why it is so important to keep this millenary
practice that takes care of the ground, the animals and the people, alive.
This activity is part of the sustainable
tourism experiences project Caminos Trashumantes, which aims to seeks to
transmit and highlight the transhumance culture from early ages, through
immersive experiences and, like in this case, educational.
We would like to sincerely thank the school
Ruta de la Plata for its cooperation and willingness, for welcoming us and allowing
us to develop this very significant activity in their classrooms. And, of
course, we would like to thank the author of the story, Isabel Ferrer, for not
minding coming to Santa Olalla del Cala from Teruel, to live this activity,
with the same excitement that she transmitted to all of us.
We will continue to walk the paths that must be
taken, sharing the vital heritage of transhumance and its culture – bringing it
closer to new generations through gestures that sow knowledge, nurture respect,
and keep its memory alive…
