Volunteering in Iceland 2016

In July, 19 students and two members of staff, embarked on an amazing trip to Iceland as part of the Volunteer Abroad extension study. The trip was the culmination of 9 months of hard work, with students having to fundraise to pay for the trip throughout the year.

Students travelled to the remote East of Iceland and volunteered in a beautiful village located in a fjord. The students worked extremely hard and undertook 5 days of environmental volunteer work.  This included removing Alaskan lupins which are an invasive plant species, clearing up the local coastline and digging the foundations of a traditional Icelandic greenhouse.

The group also took in the amazing and beautiful sites that Iceland has to offer, visiting waterfalls, glaciers and geysers.

All of the students who took part in the trip were a credit to the College and should be really proud of what they achieved.

Concordia have organised four fantastic trips for our students over the last few years, with destinations as diverse as India, Vietnam and Iceland. I continue to be impressed with the dedication and organisation of Concordia. They have a genuine commitment to ensuring that students have a unique volunteering experience and undertake meaningful work.

For example, in India our students lived in a rural village alongside the local community and volunteered at a local school. The local community were so welcoming and we had the privilege of eating in villagers houses and learning first-hand about Indian culture. Our students had also fundraised in order to buy the Indian primary school children a pair of shoes, pens and school books.  Our students gained an enormous amount from the trip and not only learnt about a new culture, but also developed leadership and team working skills.

On all of the trips and projects that we have worked with Concordia, their support prior, and also during the trip, has been outstanding.  The leaders that Concordia sends to accompany the group have been excellent, and any issues have been dealt with swiftly and professionally. 

Michelle McGrath,

Teacher, Esher College

Rich shares his story about his experience of EVS for Volunteers' Week 2014

"Volunteering has had a big effect on my life. After a couple of short workcamps in Slovakia and Iceland, I recently completed a year of EVS in France.

I am now able to speak another language well, and have made good friends with people I would otherwise have not been able to communicate with.

I urge anyone to at least consider the EVS scheme as a fantastic, funded way to discover another country and learn valuable skills for the future"

Rich 2014

Watch this video about volunteering in Iceland!

Check out the video made by our volunteer Tosh who participated in a photography project in Iceland :)

The video is part of an exhibition in Iceland about volunteering.

All In A Days Work from Tosh Kara on Vimeo.

Kelly on EVS in Iceland - 2011

It is unsurprisingly difficult to know where to start. With 6 months of time already having trickled by there is obviously too much to say… But for a general overview of my time so far, EVS in Iceland has meant…….

“Workcamps” with international volunteers around the different parts of Iceland, learning to drive a tractor, discovering the magic of Icelandic turf houses and turf as a building material, sleeping outside in the summer night sun (no darkness!), staying inside in the winter darkness (too much darkness!), planting trees, herding hundreds of sheep, learning how to milk a cow, seeing the northern lights, eating cured shark, cleaning the coast and building furniture from the driftwood, discovering the Icelandic Sagas and beliefs in hidden people and elves, building a children’s playground, organising and leading a bicycle camp around the south of the country, making a vegetable patch and greenhouse, frosty mornings, sitting in “hot pots” and hot rivers (a favourite Icelandic past time), often seeing more animals than people on a daily basis, alien landscapes and lava fields, huge open horizons, fishing, never having the same day repeated, painting, learning how to build a shelter with just wood and rope (no nails!), glaciers, volcanoes, sleeping in bunk beds, hiking, always cooking in huge quantities, strange dentist visit (they have TVs on the ceiling!), new people, new ideas, new recipes, lots of energy, tiredness, silent landscapes, noisy houses, and the strongest WIND.

Luke in Iceland on EVS - 2010

Six months down, only two to go! Time has passed so quickly on my EVS experience in Iceland. I have been leading workcamps throughout the summer season, which has now come to a close. It has been a wonderful experience, and I have met so many interesting and enthusiastic people I am left at a loss to describe what I have seen and done in words. Since my last entry, I have seen the summer through with four workcamps. With projects as varied as planting trees in the north of the country, helping to rebuild the ruins of an ancient monastery in the east, conducting two week photography workshops complete with our very own exhibition and helping Reykjavik’s International Film Festival run smoothly. I am also very happy to report that I realised a lifelong dream, I have seen the famous Northern Lights! They are even more beautiful than I imagined.

They were all great, and we had some fantastic volunteers staying with us, however, rebuilding the ruins in the east must be a highlight. We stayed in a remote valley where a huge lake meets Iceland’s wonderful Highlands. Working for a museum and culture house – home of the famous Icelandic Author Gunnar Gunnarson – we toiled with boulders and turf to enhance the site where archaeologists had been digging for 9 years. Each day we could see our work take shape from a hill above the site, the walls, the stone pathways and the turfed gardens. It was incredibly rewarding work, as tourists would view the site and, for the first time, get a good idea of where the old monastery actually sat. Of course, it wasn’t all hard work. Our host Skuli had prepared some special trips to the beautiful east fjords and their sea cliffs which are home to thousands of sea birds and up onto the vast and desolate (and very cold) highlands. Here, we saw a massive and controversial dam, which, when it was built in 2006, created a 50km glacial lake stretching all the way to Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajokull. We also had the amazing experience of bathing in a hot waterfall. At just the right temperature too! We relaxed in its pool, then ran for the freezing cold river into which it drained. Truly an experience to remember!

Now winter is well and truly on its way in the North Atlantic. At the beginning of November, the sun rises after 9am and sets before 5pm. It is confusing for the body clock to say the least, but I have plenty to be getting on with preparing the Seed’s housing for next year’s volunteers! Over the past month we have prepared our vegetable gardens for the harsh winter, having dug new vegetable patches and enclosed them with the traditional Icelandic turf walls. We are also building recycling bins to manage with all waste our 3 houses and one office produces (we recycle everything from old batteries to normal plastic packaging, taking one van load to the recycling centre almost every two weeks). We have also begun repairing our bikes – a mammoth task considering we have around twenty old second hand bikes. We have stripped and painted the windows of our main house, and the improvement is visible. It is good motivation to think we are working so hard to make the experience better for the volunteers of next year.

Even though the season is over, I feel I still have a lot to look forward to and we have certainly been kept busy. Not only do we have four more workcamps from the 21st November right up until Christmas Eve, we have also been planning events for Seed’s 5th Anniversary. Over the course of a week from the 11th of this month, we will be host to long term volunteers from Seed’s past years. With several events planned, it will culminate in a conference on the environment where several guest speakers will give talks in their field. I am very excited to meet previous volunteers, to share experiences with them and to have a good time.

The past week has been spent organising and preparing for the annual Akranes Day of Nations organised by the New Icelanders Foundation. It was fantastic to see the cultural diversity of a population as small as Iceland’s, and to taste the foods from as far afield as India, Hungary, Nigeria and Palestine. The event was a great success. We represented Seeds with information on our work through the summer, and with foods from our countries. I chose to hold a vote with the visiting public to see whether Icelanders loved or hated Marmite. Served with a bit of bread and cheese, it was great to interact with the locals and see the faces of those who clearly hated it! Though I am happy to say, Iceland officially loves Marmite!

Despite all the fun I have had over the past month, it has to be said that it has been a difficult month of goodbyes. Much of the team of leaders have now left, and it has been difficult to say goodbye to so many with whom I felt so close. Our house doesn’t quite feel the same without them. Still, I am happy to have met such wonderful and inspiring people. Though it is sad to say goodbye, I feel I have learnt a great deal from working with them and now I can honestly say I have friends in nearly every European country! So it will be a bitter sweet final two months. I am very much looking forward to the shortest day of the year, the snow and the renowned Christmas and New Year celebrations here in Reykjavik. I intend to make the most of every minute!

Luke in Iceland on EVS - 2010

I have been in Iceland now for two months of an eight month stay. It is a truly unique country and it takes my breath away almost every day. It is an island half the size of Great Britain, but with a population of only three hundred thousand people, it feels much bigger. If you like vast and empty panoramas, countless waterfalls, a huge sense of freedom and a small town spirit in a capital city, then Iceland is definitely for you. Provided you don’t mind the bad weather of course.

I am working, through EVS, for an organisation called SEEDS (www.seedsiceland.org). Based in Reykjavik, they aim to promote understanding and environmental awareness by offering environmental/community project camps which usually last for two weeks. Short term volunteers come from all over the world to take part, and it is my role, along with a family of around 25 other long term volunteers, to organise and lead these camps. To date I have been involved in three camps, and I am currently leading a fourth. I have shovelled volcanic ash in Þórsmörk, just a few kilometres from the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano and learning how to pronounce it as I did so. I have cleaned beaches and collected Eider down with local farmers in the remote Arneshreppur area, worked in an abandoned Herring factory made famous by Sigur Ros’ video ‘Heima and I have pulled up countless Alaskan Lupins (an invasive species) at Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull. I have met many great friends along the way.

At the moment I am leading a workcamp in the small town of Hólmavík in the Westfjords region of Iceland. The past week has been really great. Working with 5 other volunteers from Russia, South Korea, Italy and the U.S, we have been helping the town prepare for its annual ‘Happiness Festival’. We were given free rein to devise some street theatre, and decided upon the theme of magic and sorcery according to the subject of Hólmavík’s famous museum. Dressed up rather ridiculously we cast spells of happiness on tourists and locals alike, in a town which was once voted Iceland’s happiest town. Next week the team and I will work on the hiking trails in the area, making sure they are properly marked and mapped. On almost every workcamp I have had the opportunity to mix with Icelanders, and I have had some great experiences as a result. I have just returned from a fishing trip out in the fjord, and a wonderful ride into the mountains with the unique Icelandic horse breed. It really feels as if I am getting a real taste of life here in Iceland, and it is great to share that with the volunteers on my camps.

Being a camp leader is difficult but immensely rewarding. We are expected to take care of everything from travel, accommodation and food, work on the project, organising environmental activities and finding things to do in the free time. You can imagine that making sure a group of people from all over the world are fed and motivated to work is hard enough, let alone making sure they take something valuable away from the camp. It is also difficult because as a leader it is your job to balance the requirements and expectations of your volunteers, your host in the local community and your boss. Having said all that, it is great fun. I have learned a lot about myself and I how I see my own place within it, and I have become a lot better at communication, especially with people whose first language is not English. It is great to be given the opportunity to learn from so many people, too, and I have been doing my best to make the most of it! I have rarely been busier in my life, but meeting a new group of people every two weeks, getting to know them, sharing ideas and values and being responsible for a group of strangers becoming lifelong friends is truly rewarding. On top of that, the work we are doing feels truly appreciated and worthwhile, and it is fantastic to get such positive feedback from all sides.. My biggest problem lately has only been saying goodbye to so many lovely people.

When I am not on a work camp I am based in Reykjavik, living in a house shared by many of the long term volunteers. They are a really great bunch of people, mostly from Europe, but also further afield. We have become a real family, and it is great to have a home to return to after 2 weeks on a workcamp. Reykjavik is a great place to live, and there is always something happening. When I am there I normally have a day off and a day in the office or helping with logistics before I start another workcamp and the cycle begins again. In a week or so I will begin another workcamp, the SEEDS ‘Photo Marathon’. Over twenty volunteers are coming to receive professional photography tuition and create an exhibition of their own work around a social or environmental issue here in Iceland. I am very excited to see the results!

All in all, every day I get the feeling that EVS was definitely the right thing for me to be doing right now, and Iceland is the place to do it. Thanks to EVS, the people I have met and the organisations with which I am involved, I have great expectations for the next 6 months! All the best from the land of fire and ice!

Luke is spending 8 months on a European Voluntary Service (EVS) project in Iceland. If you are aged 18-30 and would like to spend 6-12 months volunteering in Europe see: http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/volunteering-overseas/european-voluntary-service/how-to-apply/ to find out more.

Beach Cleaning in Iceland - Summer 2005

Ever since I can remember, all the workcamps and summer holidays that I’ve embarked upon have been of the sunshine variety, in an effort to boost my tan in the absence of any real summer in the UK. So it was with some surprise that I found myself eagerly choosing a workcamp in Iceland this year (my 5th!) - surely the very word “ice” in the name would put anyone off in mid-July?! Iceland is a small island north of Scotland, with a population the size of Coventry, and with summer temperatures that barely exceed those of a chilly English November. The project was based in the far northeast of the country, about as far away from the capital Reykjavik as possible, which meant that we all travelled, by way of a 14 hour minibus journey, to the camp together – the journey was a great opportunity to see some of the natural attractions Iceland is famous for, as we drove past waterfalls, lakes filled with iceberg fragments, glaciers and miles upon miles of volcanic landscape interspersed with tiny villages.

It also meant that by the end of the journey, the group had already become very close, forced together by the intimacy of a small minibus! Our village, Bakkafjordur, was a fishing community of just 100 people, with no bar or accommodation, and a shop/bank/post office only open from 1pm until 5pm every days – I suddenly understood why my guidebook said “few travellers will venture here”! The local school we stayed in was superb, with internet access, sports equipment, and even a dishwasher and washing machine – all this for just 11 children, and certainly a far cry from my previous, rather less luxurious, workcamp facilities! The work comprised of two parts; for much of the time, we worked our way along the local coastline, picking up all the discarded fishing nets and other rubbish swept in from the sea, so as to protect the vital fishing industry of the area, whilst other days were spent planting hundreds of young trees in an effort to regenerate the countryside.

As we were in such a remote place, we soon became minor celebrities, and the local villagers made every attempt to make us feel welcome and to give us a taste of the traditional Icelandic culture. Almost every evening someone would pop into the school to say hello, often bringing local food for us to try – highlights include raw dolphin (not particularly tasty) and rotten shark, eaten after being buried for months on end…! We were taken on a fishing trip, a jeep safari to the desolate interior of the country, and given a tour of the village fish factory, a smell that I think none of us will ever forget. In return, we helped re-paint the school playground, and hosted a barbeque for our new friends in the village. As for the weather? Well, yes it was sometimes wet and cold, but we also had some sunshine, and any bad weather simply made us feel that we were adventurous explorers in the middle of nowhere. By the end of our camp, I was extremely sad to leave; we really felt part of a community, and the isolation had also pushed our group of volunteers together so that we were remarkably close. The long drive back to Reykjavik through yet more breathtaking scenery gave me plenty of time to reflect upon a camp that was a remarkable experience, in a country that has already got me contemplating my next visit.

(Louise Treves, July 2005)

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Duncan's EVS adventure in Iceland part 2

Duncan is currently in Iceland on an EVS project:

My second project was in Flateyri, deep in the Westfjords. The Westfjords are the remotest part of Iceland, and can often be cut off in extreme weather conditions. Flateyri has just 300 people, 1/3 of which are Polish immigrants working in the fish processing plant. The villagers depend heavily on the fishing industry, and are concerned with the potential loss of the fish factory and the associated jobs. There are very few services in the village, limited to one shop, swimming pool, school and café.

The project had in total 11 participants from Lithuania (my co-leader), France, Switzerland, Holland, Spain (Basque Country and Catalonian), Ireland, South Korea, UK and Norway. A few days into the camp, the participant from Norway left the group as she was sick, and was replaced mid way through the camp by a girl from Serbia. Volunteers who leave the camp early or arrive late can have a detrimental effect on the group, however in this case there was no problem.

Our work on the project consisted of mainly cleaning up the coastline, and planting trees in a memory garden. In 1995, the Flateyri suffered a catastrophic avalanche, killing 13 people. As a response to this, an avalanche barrier was constructed above the village. They local people also created a garden in memory of those who died. Our task was to plant trees and improve the garden. It was great to undertake useful work and create something the local people could be proud of. I hope the trees will last through the winter, and that the locals look after the garden.

We also cleaned up the coastline. The coast near Flateyri has a landfill site next to it. The rubbish is carried to the coast via small streams and the wind. Hence, the coast was very dirty. The people of Flateyri have been fighting against the landfill site for many years, without success. We found many large pieces of metal, fish boxes and fishing nets on the beach. Even though we spent three days cleaning, there was still a large amount of rubbish left. We attempted to take this away, with the help from the local search and rescue team. They tried to use their boat to tow the larger pieces of garbage back to the harbour, however it failed. We had an enjoyable and thrilling evening, in their speed boat though!

Our local contact was called Guđrun, and she provided us with many excursions in our free time. Her business is fishing, and more specifically, selling dried fish. Dried fish is an Icelandic specialty; the fish is hung out to dry after it has been caught, and is then filleted. The group was able to go fishing on her boat, and I managed to catch my first fish. We also went kayaking in the fjord and visited Guđrun's summerhouse, complete with outdoor hotpot.

The final weekend of the project was spent hiking with some locals. We went up the highest mountain in the Westfjords, which is approximately 1000m. It was here that tragedy struck. One of the guides, and elderly man from Flateyri, had a fatal heart attack half way up. The hike was delayed by 3 hours as a rescue helicopter arrived, however it was too late. This man, we found out later was a local M.P. for the Westfjords.

Overall, the project was a success. Everybody enjoyed the work, and it felt more useful than in Neskaupstađur. The people in Flateyri were happy with the camp, and hope to have another one next year. Although we had little contact with the locals, except when some volunteers 'gatecrashed' a wedding party, they were talking about us after we left and asking who we were. As a follow up the camp, I was able to write a press release to a North American newspaper, serving Icelanders in the US and Canada, mentioning the troubles we encountered cleaning up the coastline. It was also possible to design a poster explaining the work completed during the camp and explaining where the volunteers came from. Hopefully, this will be put up in Flateyri so the local people can see it.

Now that the camp is over, I have 14 days until my final one, in Eskifjordur. Toti gave me the challenge of leading a camp in Vogar, on the Reykaennes peninsular.

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Duncan's EVS adventure in Iceland

Duncan is currently in Iceland on a EVS project - this is his latest update:

My first project is over and I am now back in Reykjavik. My first task is to say goodbye to my participants. I found this very hard, due to the excellent group spirit in the camp. I will have many more good-byes to say before I leave Iceland.

The 17^th June is Icelandic National Independence day, when Iceland was made independent from Denmark in 1944. It is a day of celebrations, and Reykjavik is always full of people. There was a battle reenactment, with the actors dressed as Vikings and fair maidens. What followed was a bloody battle, leaving only the shortest, and in my opinion, the fattest Viking still alive. The day ended with concerts on a main stage near the harbour, and the music varied from rock to heavy metal. By far the best band was Ampop, a local Icelandic group. Parties in Iceland generally happen after midnight, and at 3am, Reykjavik was full of excited, intoxicated people!

The next day, I begun work at the 41^st International Children’s Games. The games are similar to the Olympic Games, but for children aged between 10 and 14. Every year the games are held in a different city, and this year is the turn of Reykjavik. Our job on the first day was to look after the VIPs at the opening ceremony. Afterwards, we had to assist in the schools where the children stayed.

This day was also the longest day, June 21^st. I celebrated this with the other EVS by attending a concert by Amminar, the band who usually support Sigur Ros. They played many different types of instruments, including glasses and saws. In complete contrast to the UK, celebrities in Iceland don’t get any hassle from the media, and it has been known to bump into Bjork in downtown Reykjavik!

The beginning of June saw many more hours of daylight than before. At first, it seemed strange to have ‘white nights’, but after a while I got used to it. In some cases, it was an advantage having 24 hours of daylight.
In total, this summer, I am supposed to lead three workcamps, and have 14 days of free time between each one. During this time, I am allowed to help out in other camps and travel a little. I took advantage of a project in Hveragdi and joined the group for a few days. Hverargdi is where Icelanders grow their fruits and vegetables, and is famous for its greenhouses. Also, there are many hot springs in the area, as the town lies directly on the volcanic belt. We hiked into the interior and found a hot spring where you could take a dip. As well as hiking with the group, I joined them on their first days work, clearing dead wood and rubbish from a forest area. Immediately, I saw there was a great group spirit, as the participants formed a human chain to transport the larger pieces of wood down the hillside. A great example of teamwork indeed!

Icelandic swimming pools are a great way to relax. Most are outdoors and consist of a large pool for swimming, sauna and several hotpots (heiter pottur). The latter is a heated pool of water for bathing, typically geothermically heated. The temperatures vary from 36°C to 42°C – very hot indeed! During my stay in Iceland, I will be comparing the different hotpots I will visit, and will name the best in my final extract. Relaxing in the hotpots in Reykjavik allows me plenty of time to plan my second project, in Flateyri. Flateyri is in the Westfjords, and the camp begins on July 3^rd. I am already looking forward to it!

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EVS Iceland: the latest edition - June 07

Hellisfjourdur

Duncan's 3rd Iceland update:

In late May, I moved to the East of Iceland with the other EVS for a simulated workcamp. During this period, I was able to practice my leadership abilities; each of us took it in turns to lead 1 day of the workcamp. Our location was in Neskaupstadur, or North Fjord. Neskaupstadur is the largest town in the East Fjords, with a population of 1,500, and is only reachable through a tunnel under the mountains. Because of this, the town is self sufficient, with its own supermarket, bar, swimming pool, chemist and post office.

The work during the day varied, from raking stones close to the swimming pool to cleaning up the coastline. Perhaps the most interesting work was painting the harbour in preparation for the Fisherman’s Festival. The team of EVS painted the dock yellow, after painting themselves of course!

The training camp was hard work, but we still found time to have fun. My most memorable moment was a hike around the fjord into Hellisfjordur and back, a total distance of 25km. This was a challenging hike because there was no marked path – in fact we wanted to cross the mountain, but could not find a suitable path.

In reflection, I learnt a lot in the east, including many icebreaking games and how to evaluate a workcamp. But the most important lesson was about food. When cooking on a camp, always cook for 40 people, not 15. Too much food is never a problem; too little food means people complain.

The end of May also means the EVS split up and go in different directions. We will not be together again until September as we all have different schedules, although we can always call each other on our mobiles.

So I am now ready for my first proper workcamp…in Neskaupstadur! I am lucky in that WF01, or the first workcamp of 2007 is in Neskaupstadur. There were 4 participants and 3 leaders taking part from France, Denmark, UK, Czech Republic and Lithuania. I had a good feeling that this camp would be perfect, even though the participants were very quiet.

Our local contact was a lady called Jorfridur, a crazy (she likes heavy metal) biker chick who somehow managed to do everything for us during the 2 weeks. Our work for the camp was not quiet what we expected, but we all showed as much enthusiasm as possible. There was more painting in the harbour, lots of raking stones and sweeping docks, in the next fjord, Reybarfjordur. The most enjoyable work involved pulling out some pretty blue flowers. These are called Arctic Lupin, and are seen as a weed in Iceland. They are tall flowers, similar to Bluebells, which prevent other flowers from growing by blocking out the sunlight. We spent two very enjoyable days on the cliffs working with these flowers, but we felt like such vandals!

Part of the role of the local contact in a workcamp is to provide the group with an excursion or two. Jorfridur organised a boat trip for us (on two occasions), and we were able to go fishing and exploring the fjords. On one occasion, we visited a rescue house, which according to local legend is haunted. The story goes that a local man took a photo of a window in the house, and there was a face of a man in the picture. This man had been dead for 100 years. I also took a picture of the same window, however there is no man, or is there…

We also participated in the Fisherman’s Festival – there was a trip round the fjords on the big fishing boats, a BBQ, and a tug of war competition, where the losers had to jump in the fjord.

Finally, we found time to hike round the fjord, and this time, I cross the mountain range! I really enjoyed my first workcamp and am looking forward to my next in Flateyri in July. - Duncan

Ghost House

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Duncan's EVS adventure in Iceland continues...

2nd update from Duncan's EVS adventures in Iceland

It is now May and this is the second month of my stay in Iceland. So far it has been really hectic! The whole month is dedicated to training the EVS, who have come from all over Europe: Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, France, Scotland and Greece.

I finished April by taking part in a seminar based around immigration issues. Veraldavinir´s job was to organise this and make the participants feel welcome. Some lively discussions were created, but the group was able to have fun as well. Part of the seminar involved cleaning up the coastline next to the House of the President of Iceland (He wasn´t in!). We also involved some children from immigrant families and carried out an activity where they had to construct garbage animals.

A debate in Reykjavik City Hall was also part of the seminar. There were elections in Iceland on the 12th May and immigrantion is a big topic. Iceland has some of the toughest immigrantion laws in the world and so far only one person has claimed asylum in Iceland. It was very interesting to hear from organisations such as the Icelandic Red Cross and the international centre as well.

The begining of May started with meeting the new EVS and awaiting to move to Keflavik, to live on the ex NATO base. During this period, we are based in Gunnersholmie. Gunnarsholmie is a “busy” town with 4 houses and lots of sheep. Also, it has Gunnar, the manakin in the shower room!

The training began with an introduction to Iceland and the organisation. Icelandic naming is very confusing. Each person has a first name, and there surname is their father´s name, with son or dottir at the end. So Gunnar Gunnarson means Gunnar is the son of Gunnar. In addition, there was a day devoted to the clean up the coastline project. I ran two activities – a word association game related to the environment and a beach walk, where the participants had to note down the positive things on the coastline. Both activities were a success, despite the second activity not taking place near the sea. I discovered very quickly the coastline near Gunnersholmie is like a desert, complete with sandunes. Next time i will find the sea!

STILL NO MOVE TO KEFLIAVIK!

The second week of training involved working in the Botanical Gardens of Reykjavik. We were introduced to Icelandic flora and fauna (or the lack of!), and in the afternoon helped out in the gardens. I was in the vegetable patch (thinking of food again) and helped to add new soil. They grow most vegetables there including potatoes, onions, asparagus and carrots. For lunch, we were treated to tradditional blood and liver sausgage.

At last, we move to Keflavik! Living on the NATO airbase is strange. Its like a ghost town. Everything is in American, complete with Subway Sandwich. We spent a day moving furniture into the apartment. Those Americans had big ass TVs! From now on, my American name is Jack Calvin!

I am also learning Icelandic. This must be the hardest language in the world! They have words begining with Hv, which sounds like kf. So i can say:

Ég heite Duncan – my name is Duncan

Ég frá Brettlandi – I am from England

Ég erg tuttago oir tvegga aira – I am 22 years old

Einn Björ takk – one beer please

Hvað heite þu? – what is your name?

The training continues with a short seminar on leadership and conflict resolution. During this, we learned what a group is and how to communicate effectively, mainly through being blindfolded! I am still not sure how to resolve a conflict though; I just know what one is.

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Duncan's EVS adventure in Iceland

Duncan Hammet is a Concordia volunteer currently in Iceland on a 7 month EVS project with WF Iceland. He started his EVS in April 2007.



The next diary extract.

I had a good day today in the Botanical gardens, helping to dig the vegetable patch. I've realised that as a British person, I am/feel closer to the Icelanders than people from France and Germany. For example, the traditional Icelandic lamb is the same as English Sunday roast. Also, at weekends, Icelanders get very drunk, just like British people.

My first month in Iceland is almost up and it has been interesting to say the least. After a few problems with baggage, or lack of it, upon my arrival, I have managed to settle in. I am currently living in a shared house close to Reykjavik city centre; however I will soon move to Keflavik, where the airport is. So far, I have met volunteers from Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany and Greece, and it has been interesting learning about the different countries in Europe. The one thing everyone noticed is the lack of trees here in Iceland – the soil has been eroded so much that trees don’t stand a chance of growing here.

During the Easter period, Icelanders take a long vacation (in fact I have spent more time resting than working). I hired a car with some other volunteers and travelled to the south, where we visited the Blue Lagoon (a large geothermal outdoor swimming pool), Gullfoss (a large waterfall) and Geysir (which erupts every 10mins).

The project I am working on is called Clean Up the Coastline, and involves organising cleaning up the beaches of Iceland in 5 years, through 2 week work camps. In September, the aim is to visit schools and teach about recycling and conduct beach clean ups with the children. Finally, we hope to have a garbage art work exhibition somewhere in Reykjavik, also in September.

My role so far has been organising the project and creating marketing material – I took the good old Corel Draw with me. Also, I am in charge of the Clean Up the Coastline blog, which is supposed to be updated regularly. www.wf.blog.is/blog/wf/

The landscape is strange, like a desert, and reminds me of the surface of the Moon. The people are even stranger – a night out in Reykjavik is something to be experienced. The locals dress in suits and ties and get completely plastered! One Icelander said beer is the devils drink – I think a reference to the price of beer, which is 600kr, equivalent to £6.00.

I went whale watching on the first day of summer, which is also a holiday. This isn’t all as its hyped up to be, as the whale sightings are random. I saw one come close to the boat, but wasn’t quick enough with the camera. The window for taking a photo is only 3 – 5 seconds as they come up to breathe. Most sightings were from a distance, although it was obvious when a whale was sighted as everyone on the boat rushed to one side, resulting in me being crushed!

The end of April saw Veraldavinir preparing for a seminar on immigration issues in Iceland. This was held in the soon to be famous Gunnersholmie, in the south of Iceland. The day before the participants arrived, the WF volunteers were responsible for making beds and cleaning the community centre where the seminar would take place. The participants were from many countries in Europe, including France, Belgium, Estonia, Palestine' (from YAP) and Spain. The EVS were in charge of the cooking, but could also take part in discussions during the day. The first day was based around ‘what is immigration’? My small group discussed whether I was an immigrant in Iceland and it was decided that the word immigrant has negative meanings and implications. I also cooked a chicken curry for the seminar group.

The last weekend in April saw a clean up activity next to the house of the Icelandic President, conducted with children from immigrant families. The weather was very windy but a lot of rubbish was collected. Part of this activity was game where the children had to make animals from the garbage found on the beach. The following day saw a large debate on immigration in Reykjavik City Hall, in preparation for the May elections. An interesting point was made in that all Icelanders are immigrants as they are descended from Danish settlers.

We are now preparing for the new EVS to arrive in May and hopefully move to a bigger house in Keflavik.

Bless,

Duncan

Rainbow at Skorgor Foss, Iceland

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