Skriðdalur - Crawling Valley

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will be working on environmental and nature oriented tasks in this project, based on an Icelandic farm in the East of the country; this is our second year of cooperation and the volunteers’ experiences have been very positive.

Our tasks will mainly be focused on improving the environment in and around the whole area; planting trees, cleaning out a sheep’s barn, clearing old fences etc.

The working plan will be very flexible and it will depend on the needs of our local host, the advance of the diverse projects in the area surrounding the valley and of course on the weather conditions. While we help to preserve the local environment, we will explore the surroundings of the location and enjoy free time activities arranged in cooperation with the local host, such as hiking and discovering the beautiful scenery.

ACCOMMODATION: We will be lodged in a farmhouse, in a shared room(s), sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Food ingredients will be provided and a kitchen is available, volunteers will share the duties of preparing and cooking meals.Please do not forget some traditional food from your home country for the international evening.

LOCATION: The project is located in the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað; 17 km from the largest town in Eastern Iceland - Egilsstaðir (population 2300). It is a young town which has become the largest in the east and offers a swimming pool, shops and museums among other main services.

The farm is located in beautiful landscape with mountains and valleys. It is close to Hallormsstaðaskógur, the largest wooded area of the country that spreads over 30 ha. The tree collection keeps an extensive variety of foreign trees and is renowned among professionals and travellers. The oldest part of the woodland is accessible with good hiking trails and signs.

The wild reindeers of Iceland are found in Fljótsdalshérað, they are about ten thousand and also the biggest forest in Iceland is located within the district.

Near the north end of the valley, is the home of the fabled Lagarfljót Serpent which is believed to be Iceland’s equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster. There are few natural forests that survived the Icelandic settlement close by. In the middle of it all is where the district assemblies were held in century’s past- Þingmúli, the Meeting Mountain.

Fljótsdalshérað is Iceland's easternmost populous municipality. The massive land area of this municipality stretches from Biskupsháls in the west and Héraðsflói bay in the north to the mountain ranges surrounding the central eastern fjords in the east and to Vatnajökull and Öxi in the south.

The area offers great variety of walking paths, such as to the deepest valley of the country and up to Sandfell where the view is quite magnificent. Small stream runs through the land where children and adults can cool down in warm summer days.

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

TERMINAL: Closest International Airports: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF); nearest domestic airport (EGS). Nearest bus stop in Egilsstaðir. The docking port for the Norröna ferry connecting Iceland with the Faroe Islands, Denmark and Europe is located in the town of Seyðisfjörður, 30 Km from Egilsstaðir.

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers 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.

Place of extreme beautiful natural surroundings with countless opportunities to hike and discover it by foot.

AGE: 20+