Walking with Sheep: Wool March from Texel to Brussels, 2026

When I get up this morning, I notice that there are pieces of golden straw still sticking to my wool and linen sweater. They feel precious. A reminder of yesterday’s magic. I attended the start of the Wool March. 

The Wool March is the brainchild of Cynthia Hathaway. She has is taking it upon herself to raise awareness for the age-old vocation of shepherding and the fact that it is increasingly under threat. This past summer has been especially difficult, obviously, because of the heat and drought. How can sheep graze and where can they find water when it is so dry? There is also the matter of the price of wool. Not only do the shepherds face the cost of sheering, they now all too often face the additional cost of disposing of their wool. The bottom has fallen out of the market for local wool, while we import merino wool from Australia and the insidious fashion market pushes synthetics to replace all wool. Then there are the matters of changing habitats and the re-introduction of the wolf. Adaptation requires awareness-raising and takes time. It all comes with a price tag. Experimentation, learning through discussions with colleagues in other countries, new government policies and regulations.... Cynthia is giving the process a huge boost through her brilliantly-conceived ‘Wool March’. From Texel to Brussels, shepherds and their sheep are walking, relay-style, around 400 km, each shepherd passing the crook on to the next. Shepherds from Germany, Spain and Belgium will join in. Everybody can join the march and the public events en route, learning while walking, getting inspired, each in his or her own way, doing what we can to help the cause.

This project is entirely people-powered and fully crowd-funded. In addition to donating money, those interested could/still can felt a blanket for the event by purchasing a ‘wool kit’ and carefully following the instructions. I did both. For the former, I received a woolly armband, and for the latter, I gained new friends, entered into an unexpectedly very vertical learning curve, and had lots of fun. The challenges were the best part. I learned about, and relied on, the wool and felting communities in The Netherlands and deepened friendships. The project inspired me more and more. There is something magically transformative about working with wool and learning its characteristics. 

In addition, I became the proud purchaser of two additional fleeces and lots of good intentions. I have emerged with new respect for the knowledge of our ancestors and wool artists working today. I was infected initially when I heard Cynthia tell a Fibershed.nl audience about the project and felt compelled to join what Cynthia calls the 'two-legged flock’ that traipses behind the sheep. 

Yesterday marked the beginning of the walk. It was a gorgeous day. We gathered at a little sheep barn on Texel Island, 

which felt artist Ericka Voortman had filled with a divine display of woolen cradles.

This is one glorious example of Ericka Voortman's cradles

 Shepherd, sheep, and wool communities greeted the visitors. We sat on bales of straw and listened to their stories. 

And then we stood up, donned the blankets that had been felted for the occasion by people and ethnicities all over the world,

We displayed the blankets on the fence, first, then wore the one of our choice

 and we marched. It was enriching, and moving; it felt like a great honour, to be part of this historic troupe. A deep bow to Cynthia’s vision and to all who help her bring it to fruition. Walking the talk of regeneration.

Thanks to Stijntje Jaspers of Fibershed Netherlands for this photograph of me stepping 
out on a parched field.

The sheep led us to the ferry and then the first day was over.  I crossed to the mainland and took the train back home. The sheep went back to their home, as well. But the walk will continue all the way to Brussels. Another tiny felted flag will be attached to the shepherd’s crook each time it is transferred into the hands of the next shepherd. 

The first shepherd holding the crook

I intend to march again on other days, whenever I can, and wild horses can't keep me away when the march enters Brussels and the EU halls of power. Policy advice will be handed over. Hopefully the recipients will shepherd us into a better era and climate for sheep herding. 

Sheep have shaped the landscapes of Europe, and now hopefully they will also influence European policy.

Scroll down and see the valuable qualities of wool here.