Between glaciers & lava!

WORK/PROJECT:  SEEDS volunteers will be taking part in various outdoors tasks such as building a stone wall in a garden with sculptures and outdoor artwork. The volunteers will be supervised by a professional stonewall maker and a nature scientist. Furthermore volunteers will make a walking path from the sculpture garden towards a small canyon where some outdoor artwork can be found.  Volunteers will also help with setting up and moving the artwork.

Our host is taking the first steps towards making a Geo-park and volunteers will help with marking and registering locations and other related tasks.

If time and weather allows, volunteers will help building a chapel which is aimed to be for all religions and beliefs. We may take down old fences and generally beautify the area.

The working plan will depend on the needs of our local host and the volunteers need motivation to work mainly outdoors on physical jobs and under changeable weather conditions.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a local house; Sleeping in shared rooms on mattresses in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Volunteers receive food supplies and mostly are in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

LOCATION: The project takes place in the Western part of Iceland, in a unique natural pearl with breathtaking landscape, between glaciers and lava fields. The place is like an oasis in the desert, as the weather is often better than in the surroundings.

The place is a dream for hikers, walking paths and trails spread around in all directions, beautiful waterfalls and one of the best known caves in Iceland is nearby. Every weekend there is a bon-fire in the nearby camping area where visitors meet, sing, play games and enjoy the company.

Among the natural wonders around are the Hraunfossar waterfalls, where water comes out from a lava field over a length of 1 km, placed in a setting of birch-wood and Surtshellir (Surt's Cave) is in the Hallmundarhraun lava field, which is among the best known and deepest in Iceland.

According to some of the oldest Icelandic sagas, this area is said to be inhabited since the very early settlement of the island. In the old days, farmers were expected to offer travellers something to eat and a place to stay if needed and as the location was in a busy trail, the locals had many guests they had to take care of: In that way it can be said that tourism started few hundred years ago in this beautiful location. Dense forests, lava, water springs and torrential glacier rivers, mixed with a diverse fauna and flora makes this area a delightful place to stay at.

There are small local services, a convenience store, swimming pool with Jacuzzis, a pit-stop joint with a gas station and a small restaurant.

The project is next to Langjökull (Long Glacier), the second largest glacier in Iceland, it is 950 km2 and its highest point is 1355 m above sea level. Agencies organize snow mobile trips and snow truck trips. Langjökull is surrounded by other small glaciers, Eiríksjökull, Þórisjökull, Hrútafell and Ok.

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).

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers have to bring good working shoes and clothes, even though it is summer, it might still be cold and hats and gloves might be necessary.

Volunteers applying for this project should have a motivation for working outdoors and do physical work. Our hosting partner will organise some free time activities in the area.

Age: 18+