PastureScapes
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A warm welcome!
With the PastureScapes event series, we would like to herald the International Year of Pastoral Landscapes and Pastoralism 2026. We want to highlight the importance of pastoralism and pastoral systems around the globe, their legacy, their current situation and challenges and their potential for the future. The events during the current winter semester will deal with a wide variety of topics, e.g. shepherds in Germany; the diversity of animal fibers; transhumance yesterday and today; bison on the Canadian prairies or conflicts between herders and farmers in Nigeria. The formats will be just as diverse.
PastureScapes is an interdisciplinary student project as part of the Agriculture, Ecology and Societies Master's program. It is supervised by PD Dr. Mieke Roscher and Prof. Dr. Eva Schlecht.
Here we continuously share the planned events of PastureScapes. We look forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming events
Exploring Farmer-Herder Conflict: Local Perspectives from Nigeria
When? Wednesday, April 1 from 18:30 to 20:00
Where? Online, link / Meeting-ID: 652 9649 1648; Identification code: 655934
Crop damage, cattle movement, and unresolved tensions - This presentation will examine farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria through local perspectives from farmers and a cattle herder. The insights are based on field footage and interviews I have conducted during my recent visit to Nigeria.
I am very much looking forward to discussing with you what I have found.
Please bring your questions.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Past events
Shepherding in Germany yesterday, today and tomorrow - A conversation with Günther Czerkus
When? Friday, 13.03. from 17:30 to 19:30
Where? Online, Link / Meeting-ID: 662 0353 4585 ; Identification code: 388589
On Friday, March 13, everything will revolve around the topic of shepherding in Germany. What were the conditions like in the past? What has changed? And what potential do new approaches have to counter the current challenges, such as increasing economic pressure?
We talk to Günther Czerkus about these questions and much more. He is a shepherd in Wallendorf in the Eifel region and a former board member of the Bundesverband Berufsschäfer e.V. (Federal Association of Professional Shepherds).
The event is designed to be interactive, so feel free to bring any questions that interest you!
The event will be held exclusively in German, as we are unfortunately unable to offer fluent translation online.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Food Security in Times of Crisis: A Case Study of the Bedouins in Lebanon - Presentation and discussion of her research with Nour El Houda Amhez
When? Thursday, 26.02.2026 at 18:00
Where? Small auditorium, North Campus, Witzenhausen
The year of pastoral landscapes and pastoralism has officially begun! The third event in our series takes us east, to Lebanon and the Bedouins. Nour El Houda Amhez will present her field research as part of her doctoral thesis and show a short film. Afterwards there will be room for questions and discussion.
As always, please bring a cup with you.
We look forward to seeing you!
"Singing Back the Buffalo" - documentary film & panel discussion
When? Monday, 08.12.2025 at 18:00
Where?Small auditorium, North Campus, Witzenhausen
Spend an evening in the prairies of my home country Canada with Tasha Hubbard's latest project "Singing Back the Buffalo". This beautifully filmed documentary follows the original ruminants of North America, the American bison, on their seasonal migration across the plains, interweaving their story with the efforts of indigenous groups to reintroduce the bison after their near extinction in the late 19th century.
The documentary will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation, the Canadian Bison Association and the International Buffalo Relations Institute - we are delighted to have these important voices come together at this event.
There will be tea, juice and delicious cookies. Please bring your own mugs!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Grace Curry & the PastureScapes team