Outdoors work in the Far East

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in this project in the east of Iceland. The project takes place in a fjord, called Hamarsfjörður and volunteers will be working in the surrounding area. The surroundings are beautiful, high mountains all around and deep valleys.

Our hosts are a family that have taken up a former farm in the fjord and are trying to develop new work opportunities in the area; they live and work there running diverse facilities and offering services for visitors.

The main tasks will be to planting and cutting trees, cleaning and beautifying the area, tearing down old fences and maybe put up some new ones. The working plan will be flexible and it will depend on the needs of our hosts as well as weather conditions. The work is physical.

Weather conditions in Iceland are unpredictable, so be prepared to experience all kinds of weather and be sure to bring warm clothing since most of the work will take place outdoors.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will be hosted in a local summer house. Volunteers will either sleep on mattresses or in beds. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

The house is equipped with a kitchen. Volunteers will receive food ingredients and be in charge of cooking and cleaning.

Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

LOCATION: The closest town to Hamarsfjörður is Djúpivogur, which is a charming village with a long history of trading located in Djúpavogshreppur. It is the southernmost fjord of the east fjords of Iceland.

Near the cost of Djúpivogur there is an island called Papey. The island was inhabited since the settlement of Iceland until the year 1966. There are still a lighthouse, a dwelling house, a church and a weather station on the island, the latter automized since 1998. There are also large colonies of Atlantic puffins on the island. Papey is the largest island off the east coast of Iceland, about 2 km² in area, and can be visited by a boat from Djúpivogur.

The East Fjords cover a 120km stretch of eastern Iceland’s twisted coastline between Borgarfjörður Eystri in the north and southern Berufjörður, with many of the fjords – none of which is particularly large – sporting small villages, mostly given over to fishing.

The area of this project is very diverse and beautiful. The nature has many things to offer and there are plenty of opportunities to go hiking. The view is spectacular and the biggest national park in Europe with the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull is not far away.  The unique beauty of the nature, unpredictable weathers during winter and local culture have shaped the culture in the area.

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

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). SEEDS organises a “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and back. Apart from being cheap and convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 150 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic kronas.

Our hosting partner will organise some free time activities for SEEDS volunteers, for instance a day trip and excursions in the area and a barbeque.

Age 18+