In 2020, the local community in Solund—despite having little to no prior experience or knowledge of landscape management or wild sheep farming—came together with professional guidance and landowners. Their goal was to prevent the central landscape near Hardbakke in Solund from becoming overgrown and to foster a deeper connection between people and animals across generations.

How could the residents gain a greater awareness of the landscape they lived in and halt the overgrowth that threatened the open horizon, shaped by 5,000 years of tradition?

Wild Sheep: Sustaining Value and a Living Landscape

When Trude Søilen, General Manager of the Fjord Coast Regional and Geopark, was teaching at the local school in Solund, she discovered that the students had no knowledge of how the landscape around them had come to be.
“They had no idea that the open, beautiful view had been shaped by our ancestors through practices like burning and sheep grazing. People living in this landscape feel connected to it and want to preserve it, but they lacked the knowledge and skills to do so,” Trude Søilen explains.

The ancient tradition of heather burning and free-range grazing, passed down through generations, was almost entirely lost. This raised questions about how the landscape could once again be used as a resource while simultaneously preserving a 5,000-year-old tradition. The solution was to establish a community-run wild sheep cooperative near the village, managed in collaboration with the municipality and the local school.

Nofence Technology

Through hands-on learning, residents in Solund are rediscovering how to produce food from the landscape on their doorstep, just as their ancestors once did. Members of the wild sheep cooperative take part in various tasks throughout the year, including burning, clearing, gathering, feeding, marking, medicating, slaughtering, and processing. Being involved in the entire process provides a sense of purpose and connection.

The sheep in the Hardbakke Wild Sheep Cooperative are not fenced in but instead wear collars equipped with solar-powered GPS technology. Hardbakke was a pilot project for the innovative “Nofence” technology for sheep, which allows the animals to graze in previously inaccessible or unsuitable areas.

Coastal Cultural Landscape: The Ideal Foundation for Wild Sheep Farming

The Old Norwegian Sheep, also known as wild sheep, has shaped the landscape and heather moorlands of Solund for 5,000 years. This breed was common in Norway until the late 19th century, when it nearly disappeared. Fortunately, a few hardy individuals survived, including some on an island near Solund in Austevoll. Since then, more farmers have acquired these sheep, often to help maintain the cultural landscape.

“For a long time, I thought our coastal landscape was useless and mostly untouched throughout history. Many might believe this nature should remain untouched. But this is, in fact, a highly managed landscape, cultivated by humans and animals for thousands of years,” says Kjell Mongstad, an enthusiast and driving force behind the Hardbakke Wild Sheep Cooperative.

It’s no surprise that wild sheep thrive in Solund—they are perfectly at home amidst the rugged coastal terrain, harsh weather conditions, and the natural menu. They might even appreciate the coastal humour, which is just as hearty in Austevoll as in Solund!

Wild Sheep: Masters of Resource Utilisation

Wild sheep are perfectly adapted to life in the coastal heather moorlands. They produce both meat and wool from the plants they graze on while keeping the landscape open and well-maintained. This small, hardy breed remains genetically the same as it was a thousand years ago, tailored to the natural and climatic conditions of the coast. Wild sheep are experts at making the most of the available resources.

One of the greatest advantages of the Old Norwegian Sheep is its lack of fussiness about food. It grazes on everything from coastal heather moorlands to seaweed and kelp in the intertidal zone, as well as the lush grasses of the mountains. Moreover, this breed can live outdoors year-round and prefers to give birth without assistance. The sheep are also very tame and love getting attention from the children who help feed them.

Heather Moorlands: A Threatened Habitat

Since the early 19th century, more than 80% of Europe’s heather moorlands have disappeared. Coastal heather moorlands are now considered an endangered habitat. The primary causes of this loss are overgrowth, afforestation (including the spread of Sitka spruce), and changes to the soil from fertilisation, nitrogen enrichment, and other human impacts.

Burning the heather allows fresh, nutrient-rich shoots to grow, providing excellent grazing for the sheep that live outdoors year-round.

Join a Wild Sheep Safari

If you’d like to learn more about the Solund archipelago—its formation, history, and the life of the Hardbakke Wild Sheep Cooperative—you can join a Wild Sheep Safari with experienced guides from Sognefjord Active.