After thousands of years of grazing, the flocks of inhabitants followed the shepherd of urbanisation and abandoned their pastures. During the 20th century, the Larzac lost 2/3rds of its inhabitants, draining the character of the land with it. For it was the extensive agriculture which shaped the open moors and plateaus, and without the control of sheep, indigenous species like the heliophile orchids faced serious decline. In addition, the march of imperial ambition seemed certain, with an 6 fold expansion of a military camp set to irreversibly alter the makeup of this community and ecosystem.
Instead thankfully, the actions of traditionalist farmers stepping out of their comfort zone and occupying the land along with as many as 100,000 activists in the early 1970's meant that the Larzac was saved. The surrounding land would soon be protected as the Cevennes National Park, and the cultural makeup of the region was preserved. I was lucky enough to spend a week in the region for a field course. Roquefort from our farm, bread from our fields and wine from the valleys below. This intrinsic link of french culture and agriculture proves time and time again a driving force behind the conservation of natural heritage.
Thus, the exodus was halted, and indeed reversed. The sheep have reclaimed their pastures, even the threatened vultures have reclaimed the skies, and the farmers, those most in tune with the soil have taken the helm of the land they know the best.
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