A herd of hand-painted Jersey cows has clocked up 227 adventures across 64 countries – and Islanders can now follow their travels on a new interactive map.
Created by local artist Jo Logue, the cow pebbles have visited beaches, landmarks and mountains around the world.
One particularly well-travelled member of the herd, Cholula, has already made 21 stops across 13 countries.
The new website brings their journeys together, allowing visitors to search for a cow or location, trace its travels and add its next stop.
Anyone who already owns one of Ms Logue’s cows can contribute by sharing where it has been, while children can draw imaginary adventures and submit them to a moderated online gallery.
From a Jersey farm to a travelling herd
Ms Logue’s affection for Jersey cattle began at L’Hermitage in St John, where she grew up surrounded by around 20 cows, alongside pigs and hens.
Her father rose at 4.30am every day to begin milking, and one of her earliest memories is waking to the sound of the milking machine.
She would take the cows for walks along the farm track on a string, watching them skip beside her. Although her family eventually left the farm, her fondness for the animals remained.
In 2017, she painted a tiny Jersey cow on a pebble and named her Jo.
She kept that first creation, but it sparked an idea: sending little pieces of Jersey around the globe.
More cows followed, each hand-painted and given its own name before heading off with a traveller. Photographs sent back to Ms Logue began to document the herd’s adventures.
She explained: “When I first started painting the cows all those years ago, I had no idea so many people would get involved, taking their cow pebbles on adventures and sharing their stories and photographs with me. It still makes me smile every time a new one comes in.”
Taking a little piece of Jersey with you
Each cow is painted on a real pebble, meaning no two are exactly alike.
For £5, people can get a cow of their own, take it on their travels and send back a photograph to add to the herd’s growing story.
The website also offers younger participants a chance to get creative through its moderated children’s gallery, where they can share drawings of imaginary journeys.
Ms Logue said: “Having a proper home for the Herd feels like the next step. I absolutely love the new website, and I’m hoping it encourages even more people to join in and share their own adventures.”
To explore the map or find out how to get involved, visit herdofjersey.com. Ms Logue’s shop, Painted Pebbles, can be found in the Fish Market.
