Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "environmental" projects in Iceland

This is the sixth year that SEEDS volunteers will take part in a whale protection awareness project run in cooperation with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). The aim of the project is to raise awareness about whale protection in a friendly and peaceful manner.
The tasks of the project mainly consists of distributing information, conducting a survey, having people sign a protection petition that will be taken to the government at the end of the work camp, talking to people and having fun in Reykjavík!
Volunteers will also be given the opportunity to prepare and carry out acts or actions to grab attention and entertain passers-by. We encourage each volunteer to come prepared with some ideas of awareness rising for this project, to discuss them with the group and try to implement them.
SEEDS is looking for enthusiastic and open people for this workcamp. Volunteers have to be ready to approach people on the street and start conversations with them. Volunteers with passion for animal and environment protection are encouraged to apply as the work can become a bit repetitive.
Our goal is to raise awareness among tourists (and locals) that by tasting whale meat in Icelandic restaurants they encourage whaling. The truth is that most Icelanders have never tasted whale meat but with increasing tourism, local restaurants are increasingly including whale meat on their menu as an “exotic treat” for tourists.
Iceland was one of the first countries in the world to ban commercial whaling. We can help Iceland to make a positive decision again, by educating the growing number of people who eat up to 40% of the whale meat consumed in the country, but at the same time say they are against whaling.

SEEDS volunteers will stay in a house in Reykjavík. The facilities are fairly basic and volunteers are expected to show consideration for their fellow camp mates. Volunteers will sleep in shared rooms in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

The camp is located in Reykjavik, Europe's most northern capital, a friendly and vibrant city that manages to combine the intimacy of a small-town atmosphere with all the qualities of a modern, trendy city. Here you can leisurely stroll around the lovely little streets of the town centre with its many renovated old houses and there's no hustle and bustle.
The visitor to Reykjavik is simply spoiled when it comes to things to do. There is the National Gallery and a range of other small avant-garde galleries for the art lover. The National Museum provides an exciting insight into Iceland's history and heritage, as does the Arbaer Folk Museum, which is an open-air museum with a collection of old Icelandic houses and artifacts.
In the area closer than 100 km from Reykjavík, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastlines and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.

English will be the language in the camp; good conversational skills are needed.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 220 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

SEEDS will provide volunteers with passes to go on free whale watching trips. Other tours and excursions (e.g. Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon, Snaefellsnes or South Shore) can be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares.

This is a unique, demanding and rewarding opportunity for volunteers to gain new skills and ecological perspectives through working and living closely to the land. This project is organised with our host, Wildfjords Restoration located in the Westfjords of Iceland. The main project activity is restoration of cairns in an area in the south of the Westfjords. Cairns are piles of carefully constructed rock that have historically been used to help people find their way in difficult weather conditions on mountainous walking routes. The cairns to be restored are situated in high and harsh land. A trained wilderness guide and another leader will be working with the group to ensure quality of craftsmanship and to ensure everyone's safety.
Running alongside the cairn restoration activities will be a programme of creative-led discussions and activities, designed to create a space to help you experience a connection to the earth and sea, allow you to relax and be present, connect back to your natural rhythms, and find inspiration and insight.

SEEDS participants will be camping in a remote valley in the Westfjords. When not camping, SEEDS volunteers will stay in a well-equipped hostel, close to the Latrabjarg bird cliffs.
Food will be supplied for volunteers and they will help cook and clean in camp and be in charge of cooking when staying at the hostel. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

The project is situated in the Westfjords of Iceland, which is a distinct region that very few travellers to Iceland visit. The landscape is a mixture of sea-cliffs, huge beaches, many rivers, vegetated valleys, snowy/rocky mountains and moss-covered hill sides. Camping and accommodation is situated in remote locations.

English will be the official language in the camp and a good conversational level of English is required.

Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Once you've arrived in Reykjavik, you will be transferred by bus to the Westfjords.

The participation fee is EUR 250 (Euros). Please note that this fee is to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas. The fee includes the domestic transportation from Reykjavík to the camp site and back (on the first and last day of the camp). Departure time will be at 7:00 in the morning.

Volunteers need to be prepared for physical and demanding work, working and camping in a wild landscape and sometimes cold weather. Free time activities are mostly hiking and trekking in the area as there is no transportation available. Volunteers should participate in group activities.
Bring warm winter clothes as the project takes place outside and the weather can be very cold. You will need to bring warm under-layers, waterproofs, walking boots, a good sleeping bag, sleeping mat and gloves. Tents will be provided.

There is an application process for those wishing to join this volunteer experience. To apply, please submit an additional Motivation letter, stating your relevant experience and reasons for wanting to join and your CV/Resume. Applications will be processed within 7 days.

20+

This is the sixth year in a row SEEDS offers projects in the Botanic Garden in Reykjavík. The Botanic Garden is an outdoor collection of living plants, founded in 1961 and will celebrate its 55th anniversary in 2016. The garden’s main role is to conserve plants for education, research and delight. It conserves some 5000 plant species in eight plant collections. The collections give an idea of the enormous diversity of vegetation in the northern temperate zone.
SEEDS volunteers will be doing general garden work, attending the flowers, trees and other plants. Volunteers will assist in organising and carrying out special events that might be planned with a short notice but they will all be related to the general aim and work of the garden.
The work may be repetitive as general gardening tasks tend to be. The project starts early every week day, working hours are from 8:00 - 15:30, so volunteers have to be motivated to work early in the morning.

SEEDS volunteers will stay in a well-equipped house, in a beautiful setting inside the Botanical Gardens of the city of Reykjavík, which are located about 4 kilometres from the centre of the city.
Volunteers will be sleeping in shared rooms/dorms in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Please note that volunteers from other projects will also be staying in the same house.
Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

Reykjavik is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources such as geothermal power. About two thirds of the population of Iceland live in Reykjavik including the metropolitan area, or over 200,000 people.
The world’s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavík is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides.
Reykjavik is often called “the nightlife capital of the North”. But there is more to Reykjavík than pubs and clubs. Reykjavík also gathers the most interesting of Icelandic culture. It is an incubator of new ideas and styles which often indicates new global trends.
In the summer, you can sit by the harbour at midnight and watch the sun dip slightly below the horizon before it makes its way up again.
In the area closer than 100 km from Reykjavík, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastline and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.

English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.

Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).

Participation fee EUR 220, - (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers will have free access to one of the largest swimming pools in Iceland, which is only a few minutes’ walk from the house.
Volunteers have to bring good working shoes and clothes, even though summer is coming, it might still be cold and hats and gloves might be necessary.
Excursions (Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, South shore, etc) can be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares.

This is the sixth year that SEEDS volunteers will take part in a whale protection awareness project run in cooperation with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). The aim of the project is to raise awareness about whale protection in a friendly and peaceful manner.
The tasks of the project mainly consists of distributing information, conducting a survey, having people sign a protection petition that will be taken to the government at the end of the work camp, talking to people and having fun in Reykjavík!
Volunteers will also be given the opportunity to prepare and carry out acts or actions to grab attention and entertain passers-by. We encourage each volunteer to come prepared with some ideas of awareness rising for this project, to discuss them with the group and try to implement them.
SEEDS is looking for enthusiastic and open people for this workcamp. Volunteers have to be ready to approach people on the street and start conversations with them. Volunteers with passion for animal and environment protection are encouraged to apply as the work can become a bit repetitive.
Our goal is to raise awareness among tourists (and locals) that by tasting whale meat in Icelandic restaurants they encourage whaling. The truth is that most Icelanders have never tasted whale meat but with increasing tourism, local restaurants are increasingly including whale meat on their menu as an “exotic treat” for tourists.
Iceland was one of the first countries in the world to ban commercial whaling. We can help Iceland to make a positive decision again, by educating the growing number of people who eat up to 40% of the whale meat consumed in the country, but at the same time say they are against whaling.

SEEDS volunteers will stay in a house in Reykjavík. The facilities are fairly basic and volunteers are expected to show consideration for their fellow camp mates. Volunteers will sleep in shared rooms in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

The camp is located in Reykjavik, Europe's most northern capital, a friendly and vibrant city that manages to combine the intimacy of a small-town atmosphere with all the qualities of a modern, trendy city. Here you can leisurely stroll around the lovely little streets of the town centre with its many renovated old houses and there's no hustle and bustle.
The visitor to Reykjavik is simply spoiled when it comes to things to do. There is the National Gallery and a range of other small avant-garde galleries for the art lover. The National Museum provides an exciting insight into Iceland's history and heritage, as does the Arbaer Folk Museum, which is an open-air museum with a collection of old Icelandic houses and artifacts.
In the area closer than 100 km from Reykjavík, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastlines and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.

English will be the language in the camp; good conversational skills are needed.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 190 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

SEEDS will provide volunteers with passes to go on free whale watching trips. Other tours and excursions (e.g. Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon, Snaefellsnes or South Shore) can be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares.

Our work camp will allow you to learn about both global and local environmental issues through theory and practice as well. If you are concerned, for example, about global climate, waste management, animal protection, sustainability and other environmental topics this work camp might be the best for you. Local Icelandic environmental issues as well as issues from the participants’ countries will be addressed through discussions. Becoming one of over one million tourists coming to Iceland every year might leave a mark. Do you want to know how to diminish your environmental impact as a traveller?
Each of our Environmentally Aware work camps will get a chance to improve local environment through hands-on activities. The specifics of the work might depend on weather conditions and schedule of our partners.
Please note that this project is more a learning/sharing camp and not a standard workcamp; we may be able to organize some voluntary service but in some cases it will not be possible.

SEEDS participants will stay in a house in Reykjavík. The facilities are basic with a shower, washing machine, kitchen and everyone is expected to show consideration for their companions. We will sleep in shared rooms in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
We will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

Reykjavik is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources - geothermal power and glacial rivers.
The world’s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavík is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. Reykjavik is often called “the nightlife capital of the north”, but there is so much more than pubs and clubs, it also gathers the most interesting of Icelandic culture.
From meeting locals in swimming pools to passing by Icelandic musicians on the street, the city seems cosy and cosmopolitan, traditional and modern.
In the area closer than 100 Km from Reykjavík, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastline, geothermal park, lakes, mountains and many more.
The Reykjanes peninsula features the Blue Lagoon spa, the treasure of Icelandic hot pots.
The geothermal water has a unique composition, featuring three active ingredients – Silica, Algae & Minerals. It is one of the most visited places on the island.

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

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Participants should have a motivation to learn and share on environmental and global issues, and should be open to new cultures. All volunteers are encouraged to bring environmental and sustainability suggestions to the group and collaborate with the leader in planning activities.
Excursions (Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, South Shore, Northern Lights) can be arranged at discount fares.
Weather in Iceland is unpredictable and it can be cold or rainy. Please bring warm waterproof clothes, waterproof boots, overcoats, scarves, gloves and hats as part of the project may take place outside.

In this project SEEDS volunteers will work on diverse environmental tasks, including repairing walking paths and making steps in steep parts of the paths, removing old fences, clearing litter on the walking paths, and preparing the area for the winter. Volunteers will also help with revegetation in some areas around and other tasks, depending on the needs of the host and the weather conditions.
The host of this project is a group of locals developing the area with alternative tourism services, including running a series of huts in this isolated area and offering services to travellers and hikers.
As the landscape is raw, the work is physically demanding but also rewarding.

Volunteers will be hosted in a local mountain hut, sleeping in shared rooms on mattresses on the floor. Please bring your own sleeping bag. The facilities are very basic and volunteers are expected to show consideration for their companions.
Volunteers will receive food ingredients and be in charge of cooking and cleaning. Please do not forget some traditional food from your home country for the international evening.

The Icelandic highlands, or ‘the interior’, are a true pearl to all nature lovers and outdoor people. It is accessible on 4WD cars and most routes involve crossing un-bridged rivers.
If you really want to get away from it all, the interior of Iceland is like nothing you have ever experienced. The mountainous centre of the island, with its rocky deserts, craggy mountain peaks, ice caps, volcanoes, hidden valleys and hot springs, is an awesome and untouched wilderness.
The interior was almost totally inaccessible until recently. However outlaws managed to hide out for years at a time in the highlands, rustling sheep and keeping away from law-abiding citizens. Travellers going between the north and south of Iceland sometimes had to cross the highlands. To get to the assembly of Alþingi (parliament) each summer, delegates had to ride from every corner of the country to Þingvellir in the southwest.
Journeys across the interior were never undertaken lightly, such travel was risky and lives were often lost. Today the interior is crossed by two mountain roads, via Kjölur and Sprengisandur, which are only open in summer, after the snow has melted in spring.
Volunteers will be staying close to the glacier Hofsjökull and near to the rivers Hvítá and Þjórsá. The mountains in the area that reach up to 1500 m were formed during a volcanic eruption in the later part of the ice age. The area is still dynamic and great geothermal activity takes place in the surroundings. The environment is very diverse, both in shape and colour. The mountains are weathered and have very little continuous growth, as the forces of nature, like glaciers, water flow, ice bursts etc. have been fast working in these mountain highlands.

English will be the language of the camp; high proficiency is not required.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 250 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

The fee includes the domestic transportation from Reykjavík to the camp site and back (on the first and last day of the camp). Departure time will be at 7:00 in the morning.
The location of the camp is remote and very isolated. Free time activities are mostly hiking and trekking in the area as there is no transportation available or possibility to organise transport to different sites.
Volunteers need to be prepared for physical and demanding work.
Bring warm winter clothes as the project takes place outside and the weather can be very cold.

SEEDS volunteers will be working on a project in the beautiful forest Hallormsstaðaskógur, doing nature oriented tasks. The host of this project is the Icelandic forest service. The main tasks will be to maintain hiking paths, build stairs, and make and put up signs. Volunteers will also put up benches and tables in the forest. Other tasks will be to trim branches and beautify groves that are located near hiking paths.
Well maintained paths enable people to visit these amazing areas without damaging them and this important work also helps to improve safety for visitors.
Volunteers should be prepared for all kinds of weather. The work is physically demanding and volunteers need to be motivated to work outdoors.
The working plan will be flexible and it will depend on the needs of our local host, the advance of the diverse projects in the area surrounding the forest and of course on the weather conditions.
Last but not least volunteers can explore the surroundings of the location and enjoy free time activities arranged in cooperation with the local host.

SEEDS volunteers will sleep in beds in a house owned by the forest service. The house is fully equipped. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities.
Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

Hallormsstaðaskógur is the largest wooded area of the country that spreads over 30 ha of land. The reforestation of the forest has been going on since a law for the protection was passed in 1899. The oldest part of the woodland is accessible with good hiking trails and explanation signs.
The area offers great variety of walking paths, such as to the deepest valley of the country and up to Sandfell where the view is quite magnificent. Riding tours up to the mountains or in the woodland are also nice experiences. Small streams run through the land where children and adults can cool down in warm summer days.
The project is located in the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað, Iceland's easternmost populous municipality; 17 km from the largest town in the Eastern Iceland - Egilsstaðir (population 2600). It is a young town, but which has become the largest town of east Iceland and offers a swimming pool, shops and museums among other main services.
The East Fjords is a region of a special landscape, dominated by long, narrow fjords and steep mountains and the wild reindeers of Iceland are found here, the herd counts between three and four thousand animals.

English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.

International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF); domestic airport and bus stop is Egilsstaðir.
SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Our hosting partner will organise free time activities in the surroundings of the project, such as hiking and possibly horseback riding in the forest.
If you take SEEDS minibus option to and from the camp location, you will be able to go all around Iceland, as we drive different ways (either North or South) to and from the camp.

Our workcamp will allow you to learn about both global and local environmental issues through theory and practice. If you are concerned, for example, about climate change, waste management, animal protection, sustainable solutions and other environmental topics then this work camp is the one for you. Local Icelandic environmental issues as well as issues from the participants’ countries will be addressed. Becoming one of over 1.5 million tourists coming to Iceland every year will leave a mark. This work camp will help you to be an environmentally aware traveller as well as a consumer.

SEEDS Environmentally Aware work camps will get a chance to improve the local environment through hands-on activities. Our groups usually join the campaign "Meet Us Do Not Eat Us" that SEEDS has been supporting the last six years: A whale protection awareness project run in cooperation with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). It may also be possible to organise a visit to a local recycling centre whereby a tour of the plant is given and the activities are explained. There are a selection of workshops whereby a deeper understanding of issues can be studied and discussed. Topics can include issues like animal farming, food waste, and sustainable practices such as collaborative consumption and veganism. We also offer typical local leisure activities (swimming pool, cinema and the flea market).

Please note this project is a learning/sharing camp in which everybody is expected to contribute their own knowledge and experience, and not a standard workcamp. We organize some voluntary service but in some cases it will not be possible if the weather does not allow it as some activities take place outdoors.

SEEDS participants will stay in a house in Reykjavík. The facilities are basic with a shower, washing machine, kitchen and everyone is expected to show consideration for their companions. We will sleep in shared rooms in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
We will receive food supplies and you will be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international dinner.

Reykjavik is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources - geothermal and hydro power.
The world’s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavík is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. Reykjavik is often called “the nightlife capital of the north”, but there is so much more than pubs and clubs, it also gathers the most interesting aspects of Icelandic culture.

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

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Participants should have a motivation to learn and share on environmental and global issues, and should be open to new cultures. All volunteers are encouraged to bring environmental and sustainability suggestions to the group and collaborate with the leaders in planning activities.
Excursions (Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, South Shore, Northern Lights, Reykjanes Peninsula) can be arranged at discount fares.
Weather in Iceland is unpredictable and it can be cold or rainy. Please bring warm waterproof clothes, waterproof boots, overcoats, scarves, gloves and hats as part of the project may take place outside.