[img_assist|nid=245|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=275|height=224]Louise and I met Stephan, Sabri and Swen here in Brussels a few weeks ago at the Urban Ecology centre. The 3 of them are a part of a collective and are experimenting with new ways of working and testing solutions for a more ecological and socially engaged way of living in an urban environment. A friend told me about this opening event of a new urban initiative a few months ago and when I went I was totally smitten by the space and the people and the idea of making things happen.

<Denis Ndehlo spends most of his time and energy thinking about gorillas, and how to save the Cameroonian Cross River Gorillas from going extinct. Living in Antwerp for the moment, Louise and I met him and learned more about his adventures and about this species that is so related to us

<Clémentine and I have opened an online web shop, with Clémentine’s upcycled creations: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/EverydayStories. We just went online and everyday a new creation will be added to the shop. All the things are made from unused material or trash or leftovers or something broken. Clémentine then turns these into something beautiful and new, like jewellery, reusable bags, folders, envelopes, and all kinds of things.

<It's spring, sunshine and a new story is almost ready! This time of Cristina Gabetti, an Italian-American lady who lives in Milan with her husband and 3 children. Louise and I got to spend a couple of hours in her lovely working space, a small house in her backyard. Cristina had us smitten from the first moments, she has this beautiful presence that exudes confidence, calmness and warmth that made us feel both very comfortable but also slightly shy. See her story online at the end of the week!

<It is February and we are very overdue with a new story. In just a few days Yolanda’s story will be online. This is also our last story from Porto for now. Yo is from Holland, but lives in Porto. Louise and we had the privilege of spending 2 days with Yolanda, visiting all the projects she is involved in, and getting inspired by her energy to create and build something positive all around her. Join the mailing list above, and we’ll send you an email when the story is online so you can see her story for yourself

<Our 10th story will feature Pedro. We spent a day with him in Porto, discovered the charm of the city and traditional local shops. Pedro gives guided tours while sharing knowledge on ecological, social and historical aspects of the city. And he also cooks, teaches and writes. We had a great day with him and his family and will share his story in a week.

< Louise and I went to Porto and there we met a whole bunch interesting people, including Vera. We knew very little about her when we met her for the interview, and she knew very little about us. But it turned out to be a great day and we are very happy that we had the chance to meet Vera in Porto and to share her story with you. Coming online tomorrow!

< Soon we will have the 8th story online, and from a new city. Louise and I had the privilege of interviewing Andrew Wanliss-Orlebar in London about a month ago. Andrew is a sustainable strategist and entrepreneur and a whole lot of other things too.
His positive story of change coming our way will be online after the weekend, and hopefully he'll inspire you like he did us!

I just got back from a trip to visit my family who lives in Bogota, and I've been thinking a bit about how hard it is to stop using airplanes for travelling. I like to fly and to meet people I care about who live all over the place. And an airplane offers a cheap, easy way for short trips that I find very hard to resist. But I am of course aware of the huge impact air traffic is having on our environment, and our lives. So I am wondering, how can I find a way to keep my quality of life which includes being mobile, while being busy, without participating in the airplane industry?