Outdoor work and town festival in the East

WORK/PROJECT: In this project, SEEDS volunteers will do various environmental tasks in the east of Iceland in collaboration with the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað. Volunteers will stay in the town of Egilsstaðir - the largest town in the Eastern Region, and volunteer in the town and the nearby area.

The main tasks will be to help in the preparation of a town festival, as well as during the festival, which takes place between 9 and 13 August.

Other possible tasks include maintaining walking paths in a nearby recreational forest and a hiking path about 40 km from the town. Volunteers might also help maintain the town’s botanical garden as well as plant trees, both in the town and in the recreational forest.

The work can be physically demanding and might require a good physical condition.  As it is outdoors work, volunteers shall be ready to adapt and be flexible with the working and free-time schedule, as depending on the weather, we may not be able to perform some of the tasks or activities planned.

Volunteers need to be prepared for working and walking in sometimes cold weather. Be prepared to experience all kinds of weather and bring warm winter clothes as the tasks take place outside and it can get cold. Bring warm under-layers, waterproofs, walking shoes/boots, a good sleeping bag and gloves.

Volunteers might be asked to do other related tasks and some flexibility is required depending on the advance of the different tasks, weather conditions and current needs.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will sleep on mattresses in a local school building. Please bring your own sleeping bag. There is no shower in the house, but we will have free access to showers in the local swimming pool, which is very closeby.

Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Volunteers will receive a warm meal during lunch hour from a local fast food restaurant.  Do not forget some traditional/typical food or drinks from your home country for an international evening.

LOCATION: The project will be located in Egilsstaðir, the largest town of the sparsely populated eastern region which hosts only about 3% of the Icelandic population. East Iceland is known for its calm weather, beautiful fjords, and reindeers, which only live on the eastern part of Iceland.

Egilsstaðir is a town in east Iceland on the banks of the Lagarfljót, a large lake and river, believed to be the home of a cryptid serpent, called Lagarfljótsormurinn by locals.

The biggest forest in Iceland, Hallormsstaðaskógur is found near the lake as well as a waterfall, Hengifoss. Hengifoss, which is 118 metres tall and one of the tallest waterfalls in the country. Below it is another waterfall called Litlanesfoss.

LANGUAGE: English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.

TERMINAL & TRANSPORT: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).

SEEDS organises a “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík & back. Apart from being cheaper and convenient, it allows participants to meet and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting sites.  

The SEEDS minibus will travel one way along the Northern part of the country and the other way it will travel along the South coast of Iceland. In this way we will have the opportunity to travel the whole ring road and stop at magnificent natural sights, including waterfalls, glaciers, volcano craters, hot springs areas, iceberg lagoons, black sand beaches, etc.

Departure will be at 7:00 in the morning of August 5th. We will arrive back to Reykjavík in the late evening of August 19th.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 120 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.