In line with nature is continuously moving and always a response to whatever is happening around us.
Some people are wondering what we exactly do. What is our core focus? What are we specialized in? For us, action in line with nature is unpredictable. We never know what is going to happen, but in each moment we make a decision. Do we want to contribute? Yes or no? How are we going to do that in a practical way? Sometimes it is a piece of land that is going to be sold to people who want to abuse it and we just can not allow this to happen. Sometimes it is a response to the needs of the people around us. Sometimes it is a response to a deep wish of a local entrepreneur. An invitation, a question, an offer, an idea, a happening,… We surf the waves we encounter and create the economy we want to see, while holding in mind the coverage of basic needs, supporting locally and encouraging the next generation.
Evi Maes
Seeing how nature grows, the abundance of seeds it provides, how it takes care of all beings. I love expansion. At one point I just couldn't do nothing. Seeing our current economy going on and on with so many people being abused, lacking their basic needs, nature being damaged and exploited for... what actually? A world many people don't want to fit in any more. I felt we needed to look around us again and start locally; to see how we can change our local systems from the ground up. Understanding that relationships between people are the most important and are the basis for doing business together. It is my joy to connect, to invent new things, to be stubborn, take risks and investigate territory others don't dare to, or to speak up. Living a life without compromise and contributing to a new economy.
Matthias Arentsen
Life has brought me many new things the last few years. I have spent much more time outside, learning many new skills. I have come to appreciate nature in a deeper way. Many societal things have fallen away and my life has become much more simple, but this simplicity is endless! There is always something new to observe, to learn and to do. And always something old to let go of... Life has become all about moving with the current of nature while staying in healthy control, having appreciation and care for others. In addition to In line with nature, I am active as a website developer and video maker at Revolutionary Design and I support the local organic jam factory Valle del Taibilla. I help people with websites, donation systems, online applications, videos, technical support, and so on.
Our story
Hi, we are Evi and Matthias.
We met each other almost six years ago, got married, learned there are many differences between our Belgian and Dutch cultures and decided almost three years ago to live a different life somewhere in the mountains in Southern Spain. We knew we wanted a life more in line with nature, to grow our own food and to live more in connection with others; a life where money was less important, and human connections were more important. We wanted to live the new economy we had envisioned in a very practical way, instead of only dreaming or speaking about it. For this, we had to learn a new language and adapt to a different culture. We had to learn – and are still learning! – how to cultivate food in a dry area on the verge of desertification. We had to learn how to integrate in a new country and build new relationships. We started to change things around us. Many times this involved a lot of practical hard work. We had many challenges, difficulties and obstacles, but we just kept – and keep! – going. We are getting more and more socially involved and slowly see how things around us are changing for the better.