Mas de la Griffe – Ecological camping

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In the south of France, in the department of Pyrenees-Orientales (66), the border with Spain, Marc, Christine and Nicolas invite you to discover their camping. Located on the mountain heights of the small spa town of Amélie-les-Bains, the isolated site, is an ideal place for seeking the change of scenery. It is about a wilderness camping at 900 m above sea level designed around an organic farm.

The ecology and us

Ecological camping at the farm – Vacation Ecovillage at Mas de La Griffe begins its first season in 2008. Thank you for your patience with any imperfection. We still need to “smooth out the wrinkles”.

The project was started not long ago, but it will take time and favorable circumstances to put in place. The first yurt went up in mid-November 2007 (see map), and 4 others are in production for summer 2008.

The idea for the campsite at the farm is that it will have an ecological and environmental dimension within the frame of the concept of a vacation Ecovillage.

Ecology, respect for the environment, the spirit of responsability and solidarity, voluntary and lasting simplicity, these are the theories that must be put into practice. This is our challenge here at Mas de La Griffe.

Ecology

– No electricity on the site. Therefore we do not contribute to nuclear pollution. The inhabitants of Mas de La Griffe are equipped with a generator that runs occasionally, enough to recharge batteries, telephones, lamps, laptop … Individual lighting is done with flash lights (pocket lamps) or candles.

Provision has been made in the near future to equip in a better way the farm with solar panels for environmental reasons and in order to achieve a degree of autonomy energy.

– Water economizing bathrooms : Water is a precious resource. We must know how to economize when it is rare. What with the recent drastic changes in climate, we need to be vigilant, now more than ever. At the ecological campsite at Mas de La Griffe, we wash with water from the spring. We use a bowl and a basin to wash ourselves and we like it. Water can be heated (for the moment on a gas stove) but soon with solar power.

– We are installing yurts, a type of tent traditionnally used by the nomadic Mongolian people, Ouzbekhs … Our yurts are locally made.No products “made in China” or petroleum-derived.

It is also possible to bring your own camping equipment (tent, yurt, tepee …)

Respect for the environment

– Waste removal : vacationers will be responsible for the removal of their own trash. Plastic, glass, paper, cardboard, compost. It is best to avoid plastic waste as much as possible, that is to say, avoid buying plastics to diminish waste at the source.

– Toilets : composting with sawdust. No flushing which consumes 10 or 20 liters each time. We dispose of the waste as a composte to nourish the forest

– Automobiles : Because of the difficulty of the road, few vehicles arrive on site. Therefore, very little exhaust fumes.

– Use of products : We insist on using only biodegradable organic products : cosmetics, laundry and dishwashing products (we will eventually be able to offer some of these products in the” grocery store”), we do not wish to generate unnecessary pollution on this land we so love.

Spirit of solidarity and responsibility

– Everyone empties their own toilets

– It is not permitted to smoke inside yurts out of respect for those who will come after, nor in enclosed communal spaces.

– The inhabitants of mas de La Griffe offer communal meals to vacationers in the evenings.

– A small grocery stocked with essential organic products and vegetables offers you:

organic vegetables from the farm

herbs from the mountain

milk, cheese, butter from the farm (not always available)

organic products from off-site sources

cereals (wheat couscous, quinoa, pasta, rice, lentils …)

coffee, sugar

oil, salt

shampoo

vegetables and fruits (preferably in a short circuit)

local honey , produced by a neighboring beekeeper

– It is possible to take part in certain activities on the farm, depending on the day and hour. The inhabitants of Mas de la Griffe will be happy to show you and to share their way of life and to initiate you to into their practices and working methods, if you so desire.

Simplicity voluntary and sustainable

We made a choice. Freely and voluntarily. Here, beyond a few days of vacation, Beyond a few days of vacation, coming here means you have undertaken a personal departure. This is a individual and familial decision, but it is part of a universal current of spirit.. We are not alone. “It is the little strams that together make the grat rivers.” The small river of La Griffe joins into the “Terme” which joins into the “Mondony” which joins into the “Tech” which flows into the Mediterranean. It’s up to you to live and perpetuate the spirit.