Project Location: This camp will take place in a small community called Grímsnes- and Grafningshreppur which is located in the middle of the south area of Iceland. In the area you can find some of the historical places in Iceland – for example Þingvellir which is by far Iceland’s most famous historic site. The Alþingi, or general assembly, first met there in AD930, and continued to do so for nearly nine centuries, until 1798. Various important events in the Icelandic Sagas took place at Þingvellir, and in 1930 it was declared a National Park. In 2004 Þingvellir was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Nowhere on earth is the junction between the European and American tectonic plates in the Earth’s crust as clear as in the southwest, and at Þingvellir: the plates diverge here by as much as 2 cm per year. But the gap is constantly being filled, as volcanoes have been erupting regularly throughout Iceland’s history.
Not far away is the old Episcopal seat of Skálholt, which was the centre of the church and Christianity in Iceland from the mid-11th century until the end of the 18th.
But the region has other attractions: places of outstanding natural beauty include magnificent waterfalls, of which Gullfoss (Golden Falls) is the best known. In many geothermal areas villages have grown up, where exotic fruits and vegetables are grown in greenhouses heated by hot springs.
The best known hot spring is Geysir, from which derives the English word “geyser” for spouting hot springs: the big Geysir is surrounded by many more springs of all shapes and sizes.
A little further east are two of Iceland’s most active volcanoes. Mt. Hekla has erupted about 20 times in Icelandic history, and Mt. Katla, under the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, is almost as active. Many years have now passed since Mt. Katla last erupted, and according to geoscientists it is overdue for another burst of activity.
Work: The volunteers will be working with the environmental department of the community. Most of the work will consist of planting trees and taking care of the environment in the surrounding area.
Our work will also depend on weather conditions and that’s why we have to be flexible. Please keep in mind that the work might be physically hard and you should be prepared for unfriendly weather, even though, hopefully, it will be nice most of the time. This is a perfect camp for people who like outdoor work and physical challenges.
Leisure: Worldwide Friends volunteers have free access to the local geothermally-heated swimming pool in the area. Traditionally, natural pools have played an important social role in Icelandic culture. Most Icelandic pools offer indoor and outdoor swimming, as well as hot tubs and saunas or steam rooms. Hveragerði is known for having great areas for hiking, including a river heated by hot springs.
WF Iceland will also organise reasonably-priced weekend excursions to some of the most popular, beautiful areas and natural wonders that Iceland has to offer. Excursions include unique Icelandic sights such as glacial lagoons, waterfalls, volcanic and geothermal areas, glaciers, geysirs, lava forests, hot-springs, rhyolite mountain ranges, steam-vents, or even icebergs.
Accommodation and Food: Worldwide Friends volunteers stay in a local school. Volunteers need to bring their own sleeping bag, but mattresses are provided. Free wireless internet is available, but volunteers need to bring their own laptops if they would like to connect to it.
Food will be provided for the duration of the workcamp and everyone is expected to do his/her fair share of the cooking/cleaning. It would be nice to try new and different dishes, so please remember to bring along recipes from your own countries.
Language: A basic knowledge of English is required for this workcamp.
Terminal: Flights arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF), just south of Reykjavik, Iceland. WF Iceland will offer a minibus trip from Reykjavik to the camp for 55 euro which includes the Golden circle south Iceland and bus ride to Reykjavik after the camp.
Additional Information: There is an extra participation fee of 200,- Euros for this camp