The date was doubly important, on account of it also being the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned, and when the Moon finds itself in the Earth’s shadow.

Yesterday’s lunar eclipse was only partial, with “about 60% of the visible surface of the Moon being covered by shadows,” said the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) of London in a statement.

Lunar eclipses can – unlike solar eclipses – be seen with the naked eye without any danger.

The partial eclipse began at 10:01 pm and hit its peak at 11:30 pm. It ended at 00:59 am.

Here are a few of the shots people managed to capture all over the world:

 

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Looks like that haziness gave a little atmosphere to tonight’s partial lunar eclipse, @willgater was right! We got to about 65% coverage tonight in the UK and a total of 5 hours and 33 minutes. Taken on the #LumixS1 #lunareclipse #lunareclipse2019

A post shared by Huw James 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇪🇺 (@huwmjames) on Jul 16, 2019 at 5:04pm PDT

 

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Last night’s partial lunar eclipse 🌚 . #kuunpimennys #lunareclipse #partiallunareclipse #lunareclipse2019 #nightskyphotography #nightsky #visitfinland #visitmikkeli #astrophoto #astrophotography #moonphotos #moonphotography #natgeoyourshot #eclipse #rsa_outdoors #natgeospace #natgeo #instamoon

A post shared by Jenni (@jjemsie) on Jul 17, 2019 at 12:54am PDT

 

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Yesterday, July 16, was the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 to land astronauts on the Moon. The full moon, in Sagittarius passed partway through the southern part of the Earth’s shadow resulting in a partial lunar eclipse. #lunareclipse #lunareclipse2019 #eclipse #moon #apollo #lunarphotography #astrophotography #night #cracow

A post shared by Alexander Poplavsky (@poplavsky) on Jul 17, 2019 at 12:47am PDT

 

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This evening we managed to dodge the clouds and see the partial lunar eclipse! I managed to get a couple of shots. This is the first time I’ve gone eclipse chasing around my local area haha, it was good fun! Hope you like them 😄 #lunarphotography #lunarphases #lunareclipse #lunareclipse2019 #astrophotography #astronomy #amateurastronomy #amateurastronomer #space #solarsystem #altairastro #canon200d #birmingham #igersbirmingham #b31voices #solarsystem #moon #moonphotography #moonoftheday #backyardastronomy #birminghamlive #astrobritain

A post shared by Stacey D (@astrostace) on Jul 16, 2019 at 4:34pm PDT

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Thanks to a go-ahead local company, LRM, the area has turned full circle, replacing old industrial infrastructure with some particularly innovative projects. First, a brief reminder of the area’s history is in order. Back in the early 1900s, this was almost universally covered in heath-land. Then, coal was discovered and “black gold” totally transformed the fortunes of Maasmechelen. With the demise of King Coal – the last mine closed in the 1980s – the land is now being “returned to nature”.

Under an ambitious long-term initiative led by LRM (Limburgse Investeringsmaatschappij), there’s now an impressive 4-star hotel – “Terhills” – that occupies the site of what used to be the huge administrative building for the adjacent Eisden mine.

As part of the same project, there’s a cable park nearby where you can try your hand at water-skiing, wakeboarding or kneeboarding and, generally, have lots of aquatic fun.

The park has just opened for its sixth season and runs until the autumn. From mid-May it will also have child-friendly sessions while, at the end of this month, there’s also an aquapark until the end of September. It all takes place against the very scenic backdrop of the Hoge Kempen National Park – the only national park in Belgium.

The main entrance to the park is via “Connecterra” which is part of the Terhills recreation area still being developed by LRM, with upcoming projects including the “Terhills Resort,” a holiday park that will have 250 cottages, plus other facilities such as a bakery, pool and restaurant, due to open later in 2020. The site developers are also looking for an extra indoor leisure facility for children for when the weather is bad (bear in mind, though, this is the Belgian region said to have the best mean temperature in Belgium).

The park is great for walking and also renowned for the best panoramic views in the whole of Flanders. It was the hotel, though, which was the first piece in the regeneration jigsaw – opening on 1 March 2015 – and this fine establishment, built in 1932 and located right next door to the chic Maasmechelen shopping village, makes for a great base from which to see what’s being done locally and also to explore further afield.

You have to pinch yourself to recall its rich past and, should you be in any doubt, there’s a reminder right at the hotel entrance, at the foot of the impressive staircase that informs visitors of the 48cm drop in floor variation from one end of the building to the other (if you notice this, no, it isn’t the result of having had one too many to drink!).

The actual reason, as a sign explains, is the subsistence the building suffered before the old mine shafts directly below the hotel were filled with water in order to stabilise them. No need to worry – the building has been stable for many years. The transformation of this former Eisden mine HQ is remarkable and certainly eye-catching. A beautiful neo-classical building, it now boasts 58 stylishly furnished luxury rooms, including six suites and two family rooms, spread over four floors and all connected by what is known locally as “de scheve trap” (the crooked staircase).

Guests here are also informed of yet more recollections of its industrial mining past in the form of artworks prominent in the hotel’s public areas as well as in the charming guest rooms. Due to the nature of the building, the rooms are quite different but the most characteristic are probably located on the top floor where part of the roof construction is still visible.

Culinary enjoyment is a given in Limburg, the most eastern part of Belgium and just a 5-minute drive to the Dutch border, and the hotel’s restaurant provides yet another fitting link to his mining past. The brand new head chef at “Terhills Brasserie”, situated on the ground floor and next door to the old mine shaft, is 53-year-old Dirk Dekinderen, a local man, whose grandfather and father used to work right here on the colliery site.

The charcoal coloured plates and tables in the restaurant are a reminder of the darkness of the mines while dishes that feature on the menu, like stew and steak, recall the hearty food beloved by the area’s former workforce. The welcoming Dirk, who ran his own restaurant nearby for 24 years before recently taking over the kitchen here, says, “Obviously, the place is very much part of my past and I am proud of that but, while it’s important to keep the area’s heritage alive, I also want to introduce food synonymous with its multi-cultural past.”

Take that as a sign that more Italian and Moroccan food might find its way onto the menu in the near future. The a la carte, currently, is relatively small but is rotated regularly and has a nice balance of meat and fish, all emphasising the local and healthy aspect of local ingredients used by Dirk. Dirk is ably assisted by restaurant manager, Genk-born Youness Ait El Fassi, 22, whose Moroccan-born dad (yes, you guessed it) also worked in the mine here.

This very pleasant and relaxing restaurant (and hotel) directly overlooks gorgeous French-style gardens which reflect the building’s importance and became national heritage in 1993.

The garden is a “green carpet” leading to the adjacent Maasmechelen Village, which as well as top brand boutique shops has some nice places to eat, and the Connecterra gateway to the national park which, itself, boasts a nice visitor centre and four slagheaps (made from mine waste), affording great views of this delightful region (don’t forget to pack your hiking boots).

No trip to this part of Belgium is complete without also trying a spot of cycling (it’s known as the most cycle-friendly province in the country) and you can hire a bike via Toerisme Limburg . Cycles, which cost as little as €10 for the day, can be collected from various locations, including from the famous Bokrijk open air museum, a few kilometres away and which is running an exhibition on Bruegel, the famous Flemish painter, until October.

You need to order and book online but it’s well worth trying because you’re unlikely to find safer and more pleasant cycle tracks anywhere else in Belgium. Don’t forget to experience the “cycling through water” feature nearby, which was recommended by Time Magazine, no less.

If you’re thinking of a short break this Easter – or any other time of the year – you’d do well to give serious consideration to this part of Belgium that is quite often overlooked by expats (and maybe many Belgians). If your trip is more likely to be during the summer it’s worth knowing that, starting from June, you can also enjoy the pop-up concept ‘Dinner on the lake’ at Terhills.

The Limburg company (and Eisden-born architect) behind the hugely impressive redevelopment of both the hotel and surrounding area deserve great credit, not least as the various projects will hep create 1,250 jobs in what used to be an economically depressed region.

The hotel, in particular, makes for a wonderful spot to recharge your batteries while at the same time helps you appreciate a significant aspect of Belgium’s past, one which is being wonderfully “mined” by LRM, based in Hasselt. Remember: the entire landscape of Terhills, with its ‘mountains’ and lakes, is completely formed by the former mining and gravel extraction industry that once took place here.

The informal motto of the Terhills Project is “Feel the heartbeat of nature” and that is a particularly appropriate description of what you’ll find here.

Further info:

www.terhillshotel.com

www.maasmechelenvillage.com

www.bokrijk.be

The post Tired of the rat race? Look no further than Maasmechelen appeared first on Brussels Express.

 At the edge of this Shooting Range, the “Enclos des Fusillés”, a small, little-known cemetery, contains the graves of 365 resistance members from the two World Wars, including Edith Cavell.

The National Broadcasting Institute (INR-NIR), created in 1930 and based originally in Rue du Bastion, in 1939 moved to the “Maison de la Radio”, Place Flagey. Subsequently, lacking space in the Maison de la Radio, RTB-BRT decided to build a new broadcasting centre, the Cité de la Radio-Télévision, on Boulevard Reyers, on the site of the former Tir National.  Construction work took place between 1964 and 1978. In 1967, RTB-BRT left the Place Flagey building to move to 52 Boulevard Reyers.

The Reyers Tower, the telecommunication tower used by the two radio and television channels, was erected in 1979. At the time, its construction was a considerable technical feat. The circular upper section, with a diameter of 34 m, sits atop a 73 m concrete pillar, dominating the entire district, if not the whole of Brussels. This was a worldwide first: never before had such a mass been raised to such a height. In total, the building stands 89 metres high. In 2006, the iconic Reyers Tower was incorporated into the Brussels Lighting Plan: each night, it becomes a beacon above the city.

First approval by the Brussels Regional Government and public inquiry

On February 7, 2019, the Brussels Regional Government approved at first reading the draft Mediapark Master Plan (PAD). From 27 February to 29 April 2019, this project was submitted to a public inquiry in the municipalities of Schaerbeek, Evere and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.

Key numbers

The plan envisages a new 380,000 m² district on the 20-hectare RTBF-VRT site. The government has paid between 150 and 200 million euros to acquire the site, with the agreement to modernise radio / television. To do this, they want to get their money back by selling off all the land in the site to the private sector; to this day this consists of a beautiful wooded area with 60-year old trees and a rich diversity of fauna and flora.

In addition to the two new headquarters for RTBF and VRT, the plan features: the construction of some 2,500 new dwellings to be occupied by around 6,000 new inhabitants; construction of buildings to accommodate 5,000 media professionals in the Reyers-Meiser area, including 1,300 employees for RTBF and 2,400 for VRT; the new 55,000 m² headquarter building for VRT and the 38,000 m² building for RTBF; local facilities and services (a nursery, a school, shops, etc.) to meet the needs of local people; sites for innovative new businesses that will create jobs; colleges and public facilities linked to the media sector; and an urban park used as a venue for events as well as for walking and recreation

Citizen participation: inhabitants express their demands

A Mediapark Neighborhood Committee, created in June 2018, brings together people and institutions close to the project site who had been excluded from project negotiations until that date. They approve the economic and public development of the activities of the zone, but, insisting on effective participation and transparency in the processes and decisions, they propose important improvements to the initial project; in fact, the project was imagined by political powers, economic and real estate developers, and their various architects and planners, with an essentially economic and financial orientation.

Local inhabitants consider that, as it is formulated now, the project is essentially a serious attack on the public health of the residents, for both present and future generations, young and old. The committee calls for global and local priority management of public health, taking into account climate change, and respect for biodiversity and sustainable development. The committee has stated: « The climate is changing, society is changing, and the projects of the Brussels Regional Government? »

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been warning for some years about the extreme danger of air pollution and its fatal consequences on human health. Fine particles are causing death throughout the world, and in Belgium. The European Commission has condemned Belgium and Brussels for this scourge on public health. Poor air quality in Belgium is already causing an increase in asthma in children.

On the site in question, the current wooded area of ​​mature trees of respectable heights, a natural forest of high interest for the health of those living nearby, plays a major role as atmospheric buffer. This natural forest has a fundamental role: it functions, vitally, as an island of freshness in summer, especially during heatwave episodes, like that of summer 2018. The year 2018 was one of the hottest three years ever recorded in Europe.  Climate change means that such heatwaves will multiply in the future.

The inhabitants of the neighbourhood surrounding the site are asking for the preservation of this forest within the site, and that it should be conferred the status of a genuine park, an “Edith Cavell Park”, open to the public from the Enclos des Fusillés through to Avenue Georgin, without concrete, without deforestation, and without construction in this area, therefore enhancing its current biodiversity, its fauna and flora. Otherwise the project « Mediapark » will in reality become the project « Mega-concrete”.

Those involved in managing the project site insist that the templates of new construction are in harmony with the current housing levels of the neighbourhood, and that the shadows cast by the highest new buildings will not affect the quality of sunshine and light currently enjoyed by residents living around the site; but the neighbourhood committee rejects the proposals for the construction of the 10 towers, including one planned to be 70 meters high (which would hide the iconic television tower) and another of 50 meters in height.

And when the Region regularly raises the issue of new housing, the local residents reply that in Brussels, there are two obvious priorities: 1) new construction should not destroy the remaining green spaces and local forests whose functions are essential for all; and 2) Brussels has 6.8 million m² of vacant real estate!  So, in Brussels, empty real estate surface exists that is equivalent to 20 times the area of the projected Mediapark habitations.

Finally, members of the committee emphasise the project’s harmful effects in terms of a significant likely increase in cars in the area, without a good public transport alternative. What about plans for (im)mobility, parking, saturation, public transport, pedestrians and bicycles?

Municipalities also want to modify the project

The authorities of the municipality of Schaerbeek have officially asked the regional ministers to incorporate 188 modifications to approve the project. The municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is very worried by the additional flow of cars and trucks that will spill over into their territory, thus affecting local populations and businesses. The municipality of Evere did not deign to issue an opinion (their mayor is also the minister-president of the Brussels Regional Government).

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After a 9-hour long fight, the inferno was finally suffocated by a team of 400 firefighters. In the street, Parisians sang hymns as they watched their beloved church smolder. On the internet, videos of the tragedy went viral. Not only France, but the entire world felt wounded. The loss was immense.

In the hours that followed, hundreds of millions of Euros were pledged to repair the damages. Governments extended a hand of solidarity to the people of France, because for everyone one thing was clear: the 850-year old building must continue to stand, resurrected, as an emblem of the beautiful city of Paris for future generations.

Notre Dame’s Cathedral was built over the span of not one or two, but several generations — it took 182 years to finish medieval church. The people who first embarked on its construction in the year 1160 knew that they wouldn’t live long enough to see the completion of the work, yet they gave their soul to the task while they could. Why?

To dive into this and other questions related to hope, the future of human kind, trees, literature and our connection to nature, I am in Oslo to meet Anne Beate Hovind, Project Director for Art at Bjørvika Development and Chairwoman of the Future Library Trust.

åpent bakeri is a coffee shop in the Bjørvika neighborhood in downtown Oslo. Several new and highly stylized buildings have been erected in this part of the city, one next to the other — people call it the Barcode district. On the floors above the cafe, offices from different companies overlook the Oslo fjord, its calm waters mirroring an expansive canvas of Nordic sky.

It’s half past noon and warm beams of April sunlight enter the room at an angle streaking the wooden floors with golden lines around me. I’ve been longing to speak with Anne Beate for a few days, ever since I found out about The Future Library, a project designed and executed by Anne Beate, along with Katie Paterson, a Scottish artist behind the art work. For the project, a thousand trees have been planted in Nordmarka, the forest on the northern outskirts of Oslo. In a 100 years’ time, the very same trees will become the paper for a collection of books, none of which can be read before 2114.

“Katie had spent a few days in my cabin, in Elverun, trying to think of ideas for a new project and one day she called and said, ‘I know what I am going to propose. It’s something that’s going to last for a hundred years.’ The first thing I thought was, How am I going to convince the board about this? How are we going to convince the municipality of Oslo?”

Among many other activities, Anne Beate works as an adviser and project director for art at Bjørvika Development, the company that has been in charge of construction, creating open public spaces and bringing life to the area.

“My first reaction was, It’s too risky. If the board asks me to run a risk assessment this is never going to fly. But a little later we realized that if you want to achieve something extraordinary, the kind of thinking that you need to have is the opposite. Instead of narrowing down, you have to open up and see what’s out there that hasn’t been tried yet.”

Anne Beate has green eyes and olive skin, delicate manners, the smile of someone whose passionate about life. “When Katie told me about the project, it confronted me with my own mortality,” she says. “When you think of the span of such a project, it’s too far into the future. But that’s where the ideas of hope and trust come into play. I have to trust that future generations will continue this project, and they also have to trust me, trust that I will take action now so that they can actually have a future.”

The idea of cathedral thinking comes from medieval times when architects and artisans embarked on building a cathedral knowing they would never see the end product. It is a shift of focus from the individual towards the collective good, as well as to the greater good of the future. “Not long ago Stephen Hawking referred to Cathedral Thinking when he said that the most meaningful thing life is not inheriting money, property, but rather inheriting a great challenge. A challenge that one generation starts and another continues and so on until the next one sees it fulfilled.”

From the time Anne Beate and Katie decided to set off on this adventure until it became a reality, they encountered many fortunate surprises. But also great challenges. “When Katie suggested that we have a chat with the Oslo Municipality and the Deichmanske Library to see if The Future Library could have a room of its own I thought, How are we going to convince them about something that needs 100 years to be completed?”

The new building for the Deichmanske Library, also in Bjorvika, is scheduled to open in 2020, as well as the new Edvard Munch Museum just a few meters into the Fjord, in what is a fantastic display of modern architecture and Nordic design.

One of the rooms in the new library was originally conceived to become a Silent Room, and that’s where The Future Library has found a home. “When Katie explained the idea to Liv Sæteren, Deichmaske Library’s director at the time, Liv started to cry. It was clear that she and Katie shared views on the idea of delayed publication, keeping the manuscripts, and so The Future Library will have a home right here in Bjørvika, in that building over there.”

The authors that have so far contributed manuscripts to The Future Library include: Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, Sjón, Elif Shafak, and Han Kang.

“I still remember the day when Katie called to say Margaret Atwood had accepted to participate in the project. We realized that was of course huge and we were both in awe. And even to this day, we are astonished by how much The Future Library is touching so many people across the world. People are moved by it. Nobody could imagine how much it would resonate.”

When asked about whether this project could have happened anywhere else in the world, the forests of Canada or Finland, Anne Beate tilts her head and gazes at me. For a moment she seems to be considering the question, then says, “People say it couldn’t happen anywhere else, that it had to be in Norway.”

The idea of breaking up the soil and planting a thousand trees, tending to them and pruning the branches over time, all of it implies a desire to stay closer to nature, a trait that lies at the heart of Norwegian culture. “Yes, there is that, but there is something larger, the idea of hope. By doing this we believe that there will be people in the future, that there will be a forest. We need strong narratives that, in an ever-changing world, show us how to reconnect with nature.”

The smell of smoked ham, melted cheese and brewed coffee wafts in the air. People around us chatter in low voices; they are at the end of their lunch breaks. Anne Beate opens her computer and shows me pictures of the ceremonies that have taken place every year when an author hands over his/her manuscript to the city of Oslo. A walk starts in the middle of the city and ends up in the forest, where the young trees have been planted. This year, on May 25th, South Korean writer Han Kang will be in Oslo to deliver her work to the city, her gift to The Future Library.

I thank Anne Beate for her time and for her insights; so many thoughts to take in. As I leave the cafe and walk into the cool sunny afternoon, I cannot but think back to the idea that letting go of an outcome can mean both, living fully in the present and caring about the future. In the middle of a bridge I stop and bring a hand to my brow to shield my eyes from the glare. I watch a train ride by, a slow procession of wagons one after the other, until the clattering dissolves into distance. I continue walking, somewhat dazed, not knowing which path I will follow. And the words of Han Kang still linger in my head:

“If it is possible to call prayer the moment when, in spite of all the uncertainty, we have to take just one step towards the light, in this moment I feel that perhaps this project is something close to a century-long prayer.”

***

My encounter with Anne Beate Hovind wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Mathilde Rübberdt, Communications Advisor for VisitOSLO.

The post The Future Library: Why Norway is planting trees of hope for the world’s future generations appeared first on Brussels Express.

Located in the stunning park of Grand-Bigard Castle, the second largest exhibition of spring flowers in the world is now open for the 16th consecutive year.

With a million and a half spring flowers on display, the park of Grand-Bigard Castle is breathtaking in its beauty. Its tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are sure once again to delight the 30,000 or so tourists who come to the park in April every year.

As an added bonus, this year visitors will also be able to enjoy a special exhibition of some of the best works of the region’s most famous artist, Pieter Bruegel, in celebration of the 450th anniversary of his death.

The post More than a million and a half flowers on display at Floralia Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.

The creation of non-biodegradable waste – unknown to nature and recent for mankind- is pervasive in our everyday life. 418 kilograms of waste are produced by every person living in Brussels each year, with slight decreases but overall little variations in the last decade. The plastic should not end up in the wild: it is burned and produces electricity. But this means it produces CO2, further contributing to climate change. Efforts by the industry are close to insignificant, with a tendency to increase plastic packaging unnecessarily, and sometimes to ridiculous extents such as the below peeled and wrapped bananas. The government often does too little too late, like the 2017 ban on non reusable or recyclable bags in shops in Brussels.

Citizens have a power to change this: the first Plastic Attack has been staged in Belgium this year, which consisted in protesting excess plastic by leaving it all behind once they had shopped in supermarkets. Furthermore, people can vote with their wallets and favor shops that offer the possibility to buy in bulk. Zero Waste Belgium has a map of all stores that sell bulk products.

It requires a bit more organization but habits are quickly formed. You can also separate food waste in orange bags, which helps to produce green energy and produce compost.

There are a number of resources online to further your zero waste adventure, from making your own detergent to making your own make up. If you want support and speak French, why not sign up to be eligible for free environmental coaching ? The important thing is to start with what you are comfortable, and take little steps to reduce your waste. A year from now you might have the joy of only taking down the white garbage bag once a fortnight.

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For the people who like to be close to nature and explore a different side to Brussels, a unique opportunity has arisen thanks to Bruxelles Bavard ASBL: On Sunday, July 29^th, a nature walk will be organized in the western outskirts of the Brussels.

The walking tour will start outside the Jette train station, at the Cardinal Mercier train station, and the tour includes a stroll through the different parts of the King Baldwin Park (Parc Roi Baudouin), not far from the Jette cemetery and along the Molenbeek valley (Molen in Dutch meaning mill, beek meaning creek).

Thereafter hikers get to experience the highlight of this walk: the Poelbos Natural Reserve, usually closed to the public. This natural reserve comprises an expansive line of fields and forests in the north-west of Brussels, in the municipalities of Jette and Ganshoren. Considered an important green space in Brussels, the reserve has an area of more than 120 hectares, a sanctuary where a wide variety of animals find a home, especially birds. The walk of about 10 km is led by an experienced nature guide who has the key to enter the forest.

Additional points of interest include the Bee Gardens and the Gallo-Roman Villa in Jette. Participants will also get to see and walk on the Green Path towards Zavelenberg, characterized by the extensive prairies that lie open just in front of the Basilix shopping mall.

The return segment will be towards the Molenbeek in Kattebroek, continuing further on in the direction of the Wilder woods and the site of Scheutbos where one can breathe in and smell the wide open space of the Pajottenland. 

The walk is scheduled to end towards 18h on the terrace of the Café De Linde, a cold beer in one’s hand, admiring the rustle of leaves of a magnificent old linden tree.

Good to know:

The walking tour on July 29th is fully booked but a new date will likely be added to the calendar. More info and booking via Bruxelles Bavard site.

The post A walk in the far west of Brussels: Jette and the Poelbos reserve appeared first on Brussels Express.

Anne Laudisoit first came to the Democratic Republic of Congo to study a disease that is carried by worms and causes blindness. But on their travels the through mountainous areas, the two Belgians made quite a different discovery. In small patches of forest in these hills and measuring to less than a square kilometre, families of chimpanzees were thriving far away from all human activity.

Experts were baffled as they believed they should not have survived in such a microcosm. So the women returned to find these forgotten primates accompanied by a team from the University of Kisangani. The footage shot throughout this journey is now being compiled into a documentary to present this scientific expedition and is due to be released in autumn 2018, titled – Called Mbudha, sur les traces des chimpanzés (Mbudha, on the trail of the chimpanzees).

The post Two Belgian women on the trail of the forgotten chimpanzés in Congo appeared first on Brussels Express.

Officially founded a year ago by three members: Charlotte, Estelle and Méline, Demain en Main started their venture by organising workshops to teach people how to be more autonomous and how to have an eco-friendly and healthy way of living.

They have since expanded and in anticipation of the upcoming festival, Brussels Express spoke with founding member Charlotte to gain insight into the development of the organisation.

Could you tell us about the first year of the organisation?

We officially launched Demain en Main in February 2017, but we had already been working on our common projects for about a year. From the beginning, the main point of our foundation was to help people to try new daily habits, as well as to use home-made products; we set up regular events and workshops. In the beginning, we were only hosted by La Tricoterie (Saint-Gilles), but we have since built partnerships with other stakeholders such as La Contrebande and Le Stock in Fernand Cocq.

We have been getting better and better over the past few months: communication is improving, the community of people are more committed, and there are more and more people who visit our workshops. We have also had the chance to be selected by CoopCity, which trains stakeholders who are active in the social and circular economy. This requires quite a lot of work, but it definitely makes our project more professional.

What’s the aim of the upcoming festival on Sunday?

The festival is to help with broadcast the goal of our company: zero waste, sustainable food, home-made products. Over the last few months, we have been thinking about new ways of working. We first thought about implementing one-day projects, instead of holding two-hour workshops every two or three weeks; we have also worked on involving other stakeholders as well as exploring new working places;
The Sunday festival links those two aims. We have managed to co-organise the event together with Boentje Café, which is a 0-waste café, and Entre Nous, an eco-friendly restaurant; Tricoterie also remains a partner.
The idea is about accompanying and planning sustainable and green events. We are also working on similar projects, but we’ll first see how it goes on Sunday.

What are your future goals?

We’re very keen to keep on developing our activities. We aim to make our community bigger, as well as to try to convince more and more people to adopt sustainable ways of living. This is the conceptual approach we take.

The post Demain en Main: Working Towards a Sustainable Way of Life appeared first on Brussels Express.