Happy days festival & nature in the Western fjords

WORK / PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will work this year again in the Strandir area, we will be working with the local municipality in the town of Holmavík in the Western fjords, a remote region in the North-western part of Iceland.

We will be working on different tasks in the town and its surroundings, we will be able to explore and being involved in both, the nature of the surroundings and Icelandic society.

During the first week we will be involved in the “Hamingjudagar” festival (Happiness festival). Our task will be focused on assisting in preparing the event, helping the local organisers during the festival and clean the town clean during and after it. We may also join the street theatre group for the performances during the weekend of July 3rd and 4th.

The second week will be focused on environmental work in the surroundings of the town. Some walking paths might need maintenance, or will be redirected, so that they will be safer for locals and the tourists. We might be involved in some other outdoor works in the town. Well maintained paths enable people to visit these amazing areas without damaging them and this important work also helps to improve safety for visitors. No previous experience of this work is necessary.

During the festival days we might be working on the weekend but we will receive extra free days during the normal week working days.

ACCOMMODATION: We will stay at the local school, bringing a sleeping bag is needed. Food ingredients will be provided and a kitchen will be available, we will share the duties of preparing and cooking meals and cleaning. Bathing facilities will be available in the nearby local thermal-water swimming pool.

LOCATION: The workcamp will take place in the cute town of Holmavík (population - 380). It is the largest settlement in the Strandir region of the Westfjords and serves as a centre of commerce for the county. It is located between rocky hills and an azure-blue sea; there is a nice café, harbour, the well-known Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft, a new sports centre and a swimming pool in the town.

The Westfjords are a peninsula in the north-western part of Iceland. The region accounts for 10% of the country’s surface but only about 7200 people live there, so it is one of the least populated areas of Europe. The Westfjords are very mountainous; the coastline is made by dozens of fjords surrounded by steep hills.

In the Westfjords you will be able to explore the whole range of Icelandic flora from the shore and meadows, through birch to mossy moors. On the shore, one can see birds and seals and then an occasional arctic fox around the sheep.

The people of Strandir live almost entirely on traditional fishing and farming and are increasingly aware of their heritage and will proudly tell tales of their ancestors' dealings with ghosts and trolls. Fishing is traditionally the main industry in the region but tourism started to be more and more important as local and foreign visitors are discovering this region in rising numbers.

LANGUAGE: English will be the language of the camp; high proficiency is not required.

TERMINAL: Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF), closest bus stop is in Holmavík.

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and back again, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows us to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 100,- (Euros).

We will have free access to the local swimming pool. SEEDS and our local hosts will help us to organise some hikes and excursions to some of the beautiful surrounding areas in the fjord.

AGE:18+