Deep in the woods, wild mountains or on the water. I documented people who are connected to the landscape, animals and do something useful. In my eyes, they do craft. They don't work with wood, stone, but with animals and life.
Spring. Bees are extremely important to us. And not just bees. In fact, all pollinators. Without them, the world would be a very sad place. Thanks to bees, we have fruits, crops. Thanks to them, trees reproduce. The trees change carbon dioxide to oxygen we breathe. This whole symbiosis is critical to our survival. However, despite all these reasons, we kill bees and pollinators. Unaware. Slowly.
Deep in the woods, wild mountains or on the water. I documented people who are connected to the landscape, animals and do something useful. In my eyes, they do craftsmanship. They don't work with wood, stone, but with animals and life. I would like to pay tribute to them with this document and remind others of these forgotten crafts and show them in reality of the current world.
Rosťa has several bee hives around Panský mlýn. Bees need pure nature, forest, water. And I think this place works for them. Bee hives can be moved to different places. But a huge problem is the bee plague, which kills bees in the area.
Rosťa has several bee hives around Panský mlýn. Bees need pure nature, forest, water. And I think this place works for them. Bee hives can be moved to different places. But a huge problem is the bee plague, which kills bees in the area.
The bees feed on their own honey or are fed with sugar. Before the bee hive opens, the bees must be disoriented by the smoke from the burnt dry leaves. It doesn't hurt them, but it stays close to the hive so the beekeeper can do his job.
The bees feed on their own honey or are fed with sugar. Before the bee hive opens, the bees must be disoriented by the smoke from the burnt dry leaves. It doesn't hurt them, but it stays close to the hive so the beekeeper can do his job.
Plant a tree. Yes, it's that simple. Together, we need to somehow maintain biodiversity, help all pollinators by using fewer pesticides and herbicides, and provide them with a healthy living environment. This will save the lives of us and the children of our children.
Summer. The bells announce not only another hour but also an approaching flock of sheep. With a pleasant "béé, béé", they break the silence in the landscape. Sheep eats grass, fertilize the soil and put their good effect on the surrounding nature. In addition, they give us wool and meat. Sheep have belonged to the country since forever and it is up to us they stay there.
This time the roads lead me to the east of the Czech republic, to the Beskydy mountains and directly to Gruň. I went there the day before filming, because the journey is long and the location is unknown to me. In the evening I arrived in Gruň and somehow I find out that no one will accomodate me without booking in advance. Will I sleep in the car? After many phone calls, a cowboy from a local collective farm provided me with asylum. The water is flowing, I can also lock myself and so I go to sleep with tones of techno party nearby.
Jirka Krpeš and his farm Valaška are hidden deep in the woods with a beautiful view of Lysá Hora (the highest mountain). The road there is only for a 4x4 car, but I managed it with my Golf. But it's worth the misery, incredible views open up in front of me.
Jirka Krpeš and his farm Valaška are hidden deep in the woods with a beautiful view of Lysá Hora (the highest mountain). The road there is only for a 4x4 car, but I managed it with my Golf. But it's worth the misery, incredible views open up in front of me.
Together with his family, he creates something that is worth all the recognition and also my story. Sheep are sheared once a year. I also took part in it and I served the sheep for shearing. The sheep needs to be saddled and caught under the neck, then all you have to do is back them up and sit on their butt.
Did you know that when a sheep sits on its buttocks, so it doesn't have a single leg on the ground, it's essentially motionless? She can't stand on her own. That's why sheep are sheared while sitting. The whole thing is a relatively quick and painless process. Pure wool is then sorted out from the bad one and the wool continues to another location where it is soaked and thus gets rid of impurities such as sheep fat - lanolin. After washing, the wool is brushed and then continued on a spinning wheel where a long yarn is formed. Wool is dyed with natural materials such as beets or turmeric. Then all you have to do is knit :)
But not everything is pink in such a fairy tale. The main problem in recent years is the wolf and the bear. Jirka says that he is glad that the wolf has returned to the Beskydy mountains and he's holding his thumbs up for him. But at the same time, every night he fears how many sheep he will lose again.
But not everything is pink in such a fairy tale. The main problem in recent years is the wolf and the bear. Jirka says that he is glad that the wolf has returned to the Beskydy mountains and he's holding his thumbs up for him. But at the same time, every night he fears how many sheep he will lose again.
Autumn. This time we'll go for the blood. Literally. A hunter is not just a person who exhibits trophies at a home or runs around drunk. It is a responsible and very important work for animals. The hunter keeps the balance. Sometimes, however, they have to take one life so that most can live on.
I travel to see deer. I drive a rented car because I knocked down one deer a week ago. Coincidence? I do not think. Along the way, I meet a lot of opportunities to repeat this whole situation, but I'm careful. I feel I'm in the right place. Not far from the town of Svitavy, where foxes wish you a good night.
Vašek Barnet and his sister take care of the local district. Each hunter is in charge of a different place and is responsible for the number of pieces right there. Forests and large fields. This is the surroundings of Svitavy and Polička.
The work of a hunter can be divided into many roles. Balancing the number of game pieces is just one of them. If one multiplies, it pushes the other out of space. And while they are not necessarily predators and do not physically threaten each other, they feed on the same crops.
The hunter must also take care of what the animals eat, for example in the winter he feeds them to survive. In the summer, they have to watch out for tourists and people in the woods who disturb the game. And it's not just noise, but also garbage that ends up in the woods. Every time I walk in the woods, I can't believe how much rubish people leave in the woods.
Did you know that a hunter has goals that he must meet? He needs to hunt 100 deer, 50 wild boars a year and so on? It's lot of weight. And I'm not talking about the fact that such a big pig has for example 50 kilos, which you have to carry over your shoulder.
And what does it have to mean for women hunters? There are not many of them, but they are increasing in numbers. They are entitled to smaller weapons and their goals are lower.
Hunters must also follow strict hunting rules. The animal must be properly big. After he catches him, nothing is wasted. The intestines are left in the forest so that predators can reach it. The meat must be properly labeled and sold to the butcher shop. So they replace large farms and the meat comes directly to the table from the forest.
The biggest problem of hunters is people. People who plunder forests on quad bikes, people who throw garbage and thus suffocate the nature. People who do not follow hiking trails and disturb wildlife. They should realize that they would also mind the wild boar in their own garden. Behave in the woods just like visiting your neighbor.
Where do all those carp come from for Christmas dinner? The Czech Republic is a pond power, the carp kingdom. And the king takes care of this kingdom. The king of all fishermen, Oldřich Pecha. It's not like that at all, but a nice start to a fairy tale, isn't it? This time we will talk about muddy ponds, carps and what (not) benefits them. And why is a muddy pond better than clear water? More on that in the story.
I love driving a car. And so I don't even mind that everything is so far away. One evening I go to Tábor, where Oldřich Pecha and his fishing Esox come from. I wonder how far I'm willing to go for a photo? Far away, I want to borrow waders. These are neoprene pants in which you can stand in the water for hours and nothing will happen to you. So until you dig into the mud and have nothing to hold on to. Gloomy weather and thousands of carp await me in Tábor.
A place not only full of fish, but also great cuisine focused on what? For carp. In the Thir restaurant, run by Honza Čulík, he and Oldřich Pecha are trying to get carp to the top of the consumption ladder. Esox fishing ponds are supplied with drinking water from the Jadran reservoir. This means that carp are given a first-class living space.
He wanted to be a good manager. As a kid, he wanted to match those shapely guys, his role models. He did not become a good policeman, but a great fisherman. I'm talking about Mr. Pecha. He grew up in the pond, almost literally. He was born at the time of hatching. His father was a great role model not only for him, but perhaps for everyone. He founded one of the first pike hatcheries. Oldřich Pecha makes a great name for his company, but especially for fishing as such. He is trying to grow the first organic carp.
What is organic carp and what is the difference for us, let's wait, and what’s the difference for the carp? Organic carp feed only on what they find in the pond, plankton, and if they are hungry, they are only fed pure wheat. This brings healthy carp to our table.
Currently, most carp caught in Esox are exported abroad. And why is that so? Czechs, and Moravians, have associated carp consumption only with Christmas. I also attribute this to the fact that you don't normally buy carp at the store. So what about that?
Biocarp could be the way to go. It sounds a bit like a fake song in almost everything bio. But maybe it's a way to make it a little more valuable in our heads. Whether it works is up to us.
There are more current fishing problems. The first is certainly the predominant offer of seafood, which is kept in cages. If you want salmon, you can literally choose its color from the swatch. The second problem is the muddy ponds. There then ends all the most fertile soil of the fields and carp it suffocates. The third, fundamental problem is the misunderstanding of the fishing craft.
There are more current fishing problems. The first is certainly the predominant offer of seafood, which is kept in cages. If you want salmon, you can literally choose its color from the swatch. The second problem is the muddy ponds. There then ends all the most fertile soil of the fields and carp it suffocates. The third, fundamental problem is the misunderstanding of the fishing craft.
Oldřich Pecha wants people to understand the role of fishermen as farmers. At the same time, he hopes that people will understand why a muddy pond is better than a clean pond. You can't bathe in it, but you can live in it. Sludge is a nutrient for fish. His Christmas wish is for people to have carp, not just at Christmas table.
Once a month you will explore original stories, look behind the scenes and probably learn something new.
© 2024 Marek Dvorak / Photography