Project Location: Hveragerði is a small town of about 1,700 inhabitants that lies some 45 km east of Reykjavík. This friendly little community sits on top of a highly active geothermal field, which provides heat for hundreds of greenhouses where fruit, flowers and vegetables are produced throughout the year. Even bananas grow in these greenhouses! The name Hveragerði means ‘hot springs garden.’ Geothermal energy is Hveragerði’s lifeblood, and you probably won’t find such a natural wonder in the middle of a populated area anywhere else in the world. Nearby you will find an even more geothermally active site: Gufudalur, the lovely ‘Steam Valley’ behind the town. This whole valley is full of hot springs, geysers, mud pots, fumaroles and steaming vents.
Work: The volunteers will be working with the environmental department of the village. Most of the work will consist of cleaning and beautifying the town and the surrounding area, painting playgrounds and maintaining green areas. We will also do some pure environmental tasks for example working in the forestry, plant trees, built hiking paths and etc.
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 geothermal-heated swimming pools. 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.
The volunteers will have the opportunity to bath in the hot river near to the village, to discover the hot springs in town and in the neighbourhood and of course to go for hike in the amazing area near to the village.
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 Hveragerdi for 45 EURO which includes the amazing Golden circle excursion.
Additional Information: There is an extra participation fee of 180,- Euros for this workcamp.