Iceland Wilderness Management Programme

Iceland is a country filled with legend, sagas, rich history and folkore, and its wild landscape contains mist-filled volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, hot springs, dramatic valleys and waterfalls everywhere you look.  The first impression when you come to Iceland is that you are stepping into an unknown landscape, not unlike that of the Moon!  The winters provide a spectacle of the Aurora Borealis and in the summers, the sun never goes down and shines at midnight.

Vatnajökull National Park, in Skaftafell, south-east Iceland (text from the environment agent website)

 

Vatnajökull National Park is an oasis wedged between sand and glacier. Its unique natural beauty is a result of favourable weather conditions and the interplay of fire and ice. Beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap the hot energy of one of the world's most extensive geothermal sites clashes with the cold power of Europe's largest glacier. The history of fire and ice in the region and the way in which the powerful forces of nature have struggled to form the National Park is told in the Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre along with the story of the culture which has thrived in the shadow of the glacier and the lives of people surviving in an area ruled by fire and flood.

 

Food and accommodation

The conditions will be quite tough! There is a base camp in the National Park where you will be staying and eating for the first two weeks, with hot showers, laundry and small gift shop.  For the last week, you will  be in the Fjallabak nature reserve, which has more basic facilities than for the first two weeks.  You will need a tent that is sturdy and can withstand strong winds!  Simple light weight cooking facilities will be provided at the base camp, as well as your food supply.  So you will cook as a group and live in your individual tents.  The base camp has the following facilities: an eating group area, a drying area, dry toilet etc.  A list of personal items to bring will be given to you with your final package if you are accepted on the project.

The meeting point for the commencement of the programme is on the starting dates: 29th June, 13th July and 27th July at 18.00h at the volunteer base-camp hut at the Skaftafell campsite.  At the end of the third week, they will provide transport back to Skaftafell (volunteers may wish to travel on from Landmannalaugar independently). Buses from Reykjavik's central city coach station can drop you off at Skaftafell and the journey takes approximately 6 hours, the cost is around 30 GBP single  It is recommended that you fly into Reykjavik the day before your starting date where you can spend the night at the Youth Hostel (cheapest in Reykjavik) and catch the bus in the morning, please note the bus only runs once a day.  Flights to and from Iceland are usually with Icelandair, however, for those volunteers coming from England and Denmark, a cheap airline called Iceland Express has daily flights from London Stansted and Copenhagen (www.icelandexpress.co.uk)  Please note, you are responsible for all of your bus and airline costs to and from the meeting point at the visitor centre in the National Park.  There is also the possibility to take a Ferry, passing the Faroe Islands.

You should be between 20 to 40 years old, fit, healthy and capable of carrying out work in all conditions in a cold and wet climate.  In addition, you need to be prepared to hike to get around, and to be comfortable living in rustic conditions and camping in a tent for three weeks.  The area of Skaftafell is pristine wilderness, so it is important that you have already had some exposure to this type of terrain.  This is not a programme for you if you find it difficult to be out in remote areas, or have no previous wilderness and camping experience.  No specific skills are needed, but those with previous experience of manual conservation work, trail work, botany, terrestrial monitoring etc. would be particularly useful, as well as those who are self-motivated, as you will get more out of the project if you are.  The project will especially appeal to those with an interest in conservation, restoration, wilderness and low impact camping.  Anyone with additional skills are especially welcome!

 

The cost for the three week programme is £430, which covers all project costs, including all food for three weeks, camping in the National Park, equipment provided for the project (not personal), comprehensive insurance cover, lightweight cooking facilities, all training and supervision by project manager and volunteers, WorkingAbroad Projects backup and placement support, and so on. (Click here for more details on cost breakdown).