Maritime outdoor education playground

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will join the construction of outdoor facilities for two local kindergartens and an elementary school in Reykjanesbaer, a local municipality in the Reykjanes Peninsula, in the south-west of Iceland. The playground is being created and the work will be led by a landscape architect with great experience in this field, who has been working with SEEDS since 2009 in diverse projects around Iceland with great experiences for SEEDS volunteers!

The site is by the sea, an open shore towards the northern arctic sea with fantastic view. The design of the outdoor education area is derived from the maritime heritage of the local community.

We will build replica of an old shark barrack and smaller structures with strong reference to the maritime heritage. The site is and will also be a playground, so everything has an element of play.

Only natural local Icelandic materials will be used for the construction: Woods, rope, turf, rocks and stones are the primary building materials. All the work has a strong aspect of learning and references to the history. The working methods are the traditional Icelandic craftsmanship. We will learn the crafts of the Viking days, using old day tools and techniques.

The work will also be done along with the local students and parents, volunteering in the project.

SEEDS Volunteers will receive lessons in turf cutting and turf-walling, which is a traditional Icelandic craft, then produce turf material and at one point build a turf wall.

With these projects we want to establish platforms for recreational/sports use of the local surroundings, as to increase the outdoor use and improve the healthy lifestyle of the inhabitants. Ideas will be put forth and SEEDS volunteers will have some say in how constructions will look like.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a local fully equipped house; sleeping in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Food ingredients will be provided and a kitchen will be available, volunteers will share the duties of preparing and cooking meals. Please do not forget some typical food for the international evening, where others can try and taste some specialities from your home countries.

LOCATION: Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of Iceland is located near the capital and most travellers to Iceland land in the area, the peninsula is marked by active volcanism under its surface, and large lava fields. There are numerous hot & sulphur springs around the Kleifarvatn Lake and the Krýsuvík geothermal area where hot springs spewing water and mud dominate the landscape.

The Peninsula is envied for its long & short hiking trails that zigzag through the region where colorful landscapes and their contrasts delight the visitor. Amazing ocean cliffs, (up to 70 m high) are nested by numerous bird species, often a wonderful spot for bird and whale watching.

There is a geothermal power station at Svartsengi, where a swimming pool has been installed using the hot and mineralized water coming down from the station; it is known as the "Blue Lagoon". The Leif the Lucky Bridge spans the Álfagjá rift valley (60 feet wide and 20 feet deep) near Grindavík marks the boundary of the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates, named after Icelandic explorer Leif Eriksson who travelled from Europe to America 500 years before Columbus.

Reykjanes has a long history of seafaring, and some of the oldest lighthouses in Iceland dot the coastline to guide sailors home. Some fishing towns, as Grindavík, where is located the Salt fish Museum of Iceland and Njarðvík are situated on the peninsula as well as the town Keflavík.

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

TERMINAL: Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).

EXTRAS: Participation fee EUR 180.

Volunteers applying for this project should have a motivation for working outdoors. Organised excursions & free time activities for the volunteers! Visit to geothermal active areas are included!

AGE: 18+