Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the southeast of Iceland

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will be working on environmental oriented tasks within this project in the South-east of Iceland. Our tasks will mainly be focused on improving the environment; the work will mostly take place outside.

We will construct walking paths and furthermore we will clean up and beautify the area.  The working plan is 8 hours work day, from Monday to Friday.

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. 

ACCOMMODATION: Volunteers will stay at a local house/school; volunteers will sleep on mattresses on the floor and need to bring a sleeping bag.

Volunteers will be provided with food and be in charge of the cooking themselves. We will share the different duties of cooking and cleaning. Please remember to bring some traditional or typical food from your home country for the international evening.

LOCATION: Kirkjubæjarklaustur is a centre of commerce, services and industry in the district of Skaftárhreppur. With a population of 443, the district spans a great variety of landscape and vegetation, with a natural environment of striking contrasts. Landscapes and vegetation in the district are quite varied, and the natural contrasts astounding. Skaftárhreppur enjoys a pleasant climate, with mild winters and warm, sunny summers.

Natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and sudden floods from beneath the glacier have through the centuries shaped the nature and society of the region. In 1783, a huge lava flow streamed from Lakagígar in what became known as the “Laki eruption”. This is believed to have been one of the greatest lava flows in a single eruption in the history of the world: the molten lava filled the gorges through which the Skaftá and Hverfisfljót rivers flowed, and swept down in two branches into inhabited areas, to spread over the lowlands where it laid waste to many farms.

The eruption produced large quantities of volcanic ash. For residents of the region, and Iceland as a whole, the results of the eruption were catastrophic: this period is known as “Móðuharðindin” (the Haze Famine). Beneath the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap lies Mt. Katla, this has erupted repeatedly, most recently in 1918. Eruptions have also taken place in historic times in Eldgjá and under the Öræfajökull glacier, as well as at smaller volcanic sites.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur in Síða was known in olden times as “Kirkjubær” (Church Farm) and was an important farming estate. Kirkjubæjarklaustur has developed into a village, the only centre of population in the district, with about 120 inhabitants.

LANGUAGE: English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camp site and vice versa. Apart from being cheaper and more convenient, it 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 160.

Please note that the fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic crowns.

Volunteers should have a motivation for working outdoors, and need to be flexible and motivated to work in all the diverse tasks connected with the project.

Please bring warm winter clothes, overcoats, scarves, gloves and hats as part of the project/trips takes place outside and the weather can be cold or rainy.

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

Age: 18+