Ecological commitments

Vacances écologiques et éthiques en France
Eco-friendly renovations and resolutions
As soon as we arrived in the village, having already been environmental activists in Alsace Lorraine within several associations, our choice was to develop " Ecotourism " in the Pyrénées Orientales (PO) as well as a training center on " Proximal Mothering" and " Naturology" . It was like an obvious choice in the middle of this magnificent wild environment with an exceptional view of the mountains and the sea. So in 2018 we started our vacation rental business in the PO with the priority objective of respecting nature, architecture, crafts and local trade, by anchoring ourselves in an approach of quality and environmental responsibility.
Interior renovations
As a priority, we started the interior renovation of this large Catalan farmhouse from the 80s.by first reviewing the insulation and changing all the doors and windows for double-glazed aluminum , by insulating the attic with rock wool; by completely repainting the building and modernizing it. Then, for energy savings, we installed 18 photovoltaic "solar" panels on our large south-facing terrace with at the same time a "thermodynamic ambient air" water heater coupled with reversible air conditioning with low noise and consumption. For the economy and water quality, we installed several rainwater collectors, passed our large swimming pool to salts (double reserve function in case of fire), reviewed the waterproofing of the roof as well as our roof terrace in solarium with synthetic grass (choice of recycled plastic certified 15 years) lighter, more economical and ecological finally given the weight, cost and especially the constraints of continuous watering for a green roof in the South of France. This ultimately created better thermal insulation by avoiding both humidity and energy loss in winter and heat accumulation in summer. Then we installed Aragon-SR Geyser water purifiers (carbon filters) on each kitchen tap because of the increase in chemical chlorine throughout Europe by health authorities during tourist periods and the risks of nanoparticle deposits in city or country water. Even if at the foot of the high Pyrenees mountains the water is still quite pure, fortunately!
Interior and exterior fittings
For the interior and exterior design, we have favored wood, avoiding electrostatic plastic and toxic metals as much as possible. We have selected as many low-consumption devices as possible, natural materials such as cork or bamboo, chosen French and/or local companies as partners and above all favored recovery and recycling. At Mas Natura, no toxic household products (we provide our own Ecocert ), no plastic glasses, bottles or straws, even if we understand that our visitors may bring some back from their travels, selective sorting in our trash cans at the entrance, etc. For coffee machines, we prefer those with paper filters or non-metallic refills and for barbecue planchas, they are natural gas. The rest is all electric thanks to our 18 solar panels and we keep the WIFI with routers for practicality for everyone (we turn it off just after midnight).
Finally, currently, we are still continuing the ecological landscaping of our garden, orchard and vegetable garden in permaculture (with zero pesticides since everything is weeded by hand or machines), the rehabilitation below of a large orchard on our land. 2 hectares and the expansion of the terraces and balconies and the development of a recycled and second-hand SPA to give it a second life.
Thus, in a coherent manner, we offer at Mas Natura a space of well-being and rejuvenation in the heart of nature, which can only go with the reduction of waste and recycling, noise, visual and electromagnetic pollution, in addition to the revitalizing contact of wood, salt, water and sun during your stay here.
Addresses of our favorite ecological associations
DANS LES BRAS Association (co-founder and president since 2008) for respected birth, breastfeeding at the source and proximal mothering (baby carrying and massage, HNI, CNV, etc.) while respecting the environment: https://www.danslesbras.org
Association AVENIR 57 (members since 2002) on habitat biotics, the well-being of its inhabitants and the quality of our food and environment: https://association-avenir.webador.fr
Collective Le Vent Tourne (members since 2019) against wind turbines polluting the PO and beyond: https://www.le-vent-tourne66.com
Robin des Toits Association (members since 2020) against electromagnetic waves from 5G electricity and telecommunications pylons or other toxic CPL meters (Linky, Gazpar or water type, etc.): https://www.robindestoits.org