This is the eighth year that SEEDS organizes series of International Photo marathons! Last years' were very successful and we want to continue organizing this project! One of our objectives is to deliver messages and draw the attention to the local population through pictures and photos made during the camp. The main idea and task of the project is involvement and participation of the volunteers in the SEEDS Photo Marathon.
SEEDS coordinators will prepare different topics on which the participants will base their entries; these topics will be mostly related to SEEDS work:
Intercultural understanding, peace & Environment Participants need to take their own digital cameras and its main work will be done taking photographs on the issues given; the best pictures will be selected for a final exhibit. The last part of the project will be putting up the exhibition. Volunteers shall be prepared for walking and working flexible time schedule. We will also be able to join partly the happenings of Menningarnótt (The Culture Night) on August 22nd. Menningarnótt is a yearly event held in Reykjavik. It was created by the Reykjavík city council, and has now become the largest festival in Iceland, rivalling the celebration of Iceland's national day on June 17th. During Culture Night a carnival atmosphere reigns. The festival consists of a main stage in the centre and many smaller events spread over the city. The highlight is an outside concert by few of the popular musicians in Iceland followed by a glamorous fireworks show. Please note that this project is more a learning/sharing camp and not a regular workcamp - but volunteers will likely work for 2 days with the city of Reykjavík in the cemeteries, helping with raking leaves, beautifying the gardens and working on the recycling system among other tasks.
ACCOMMODATION:
SEEDS volunteers will stay in an 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 in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Please note that volunteers from other projects will also be staying in the house. Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning. Do not forget some traditional food from your country for the international evening.
LOCATION:
Reykjavik is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources - geothermal power and glacial rivers. 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. It is an International city with a lively Cosmopolitan cultural scene surrounded with beautiful nature. Visitors to Reykjavík experience easily the pure energy at the heart of Iceland's capital city - whether from the boiling thermal energy underground, the natural green energy within the city and around it, or the lively culture and fun-filled nightlife. 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.
LANGUAGE:
English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.
TERMINAL:
Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).
EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS:
Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.
Excursions (Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, South shore, etc) can be arranged at discount fares.
SEEDS volunteers will help with the Night of the Lights festival in the town of Reykjanesbær. Our host for this project is the municipality of Reykjanesbær. The main tasks in this project will be to set up for the festival and to clean after the festival. Volunteers will assist during the festival as needed and should be flexible and willing to assist with various projects. Volunteers will also help to beautify the town of Reykjanesbær, as well as the surrounding area. This could possibly include paint work, light maintenance, and cleaning the coastline.
ACCOMMODATION:
SEEDS volunteers will stay in a fully equipped house and sleep in beds in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag. Volunteers will receive food 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.
LOCATION:
The work camp will take place in Reykjanesbær, the largest town on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. About 14,500 people live in the town of Reykjanesbær, which is Iceland’s fifth largest town. The Night of the Lights Festival, Ljósanótt, is held yearly in Reykjanesbær during the first weekend of September. It starts on a Thursday and ends on a Sunday. This cultural festival has various shows, concerts, and gatherings, and people from all over come to participate in the festivities. Reykjanesbær is only a five minute drive from Keflavik International Airport and only a 40 minute drive to the capital city of Reykjavík. The Reykjanes peninsula is marked by active volcanism under its surface, and large lava fields allow for little vegetation. There are numerous hot springs and sulphur springs in the southern half of the peninsula, around Kleifarvatn Lake and the Krýsuvík geothermal area where hot springs which spew water and mud dominate the landscape. The peninsula is famous for its hiking trails that zigzag through the region, where the contrasting colours of the landscape delight visitors. Amazing ocean cliffs up to 70 metres high are inhabited by numerous bird species, often a wonderful spot for bird and whale watching. Reykjanes has eleven spectacularly sited lighthouses along its wild coast. Iceland's oldest lighthouse, Reykjanesviti, dates back to 1878, and Iceland's highest is located at Garðsskagi. There is also a geothermal power station at Svartsengi from which the hot, mineralized water of the famous Blue Lagoon originates. The Blue Lagoon Spa is the only spa in the world which is ranked as one of the 25 wonders of the world.
LANGUAGE:
English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.
TERMINAL:
Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to and from the camps. The minibus option for this camp costs EUR 10 for one way or EUR 20 for both ways. This price is about 25% lower than the price of public transportation services.
EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS:
Participation fee EUR 150 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.
Our host will provide an excursion to the Blue Lagoon and other activities. Please bring warm clothes and outdoor wear as the weather in Iceland can be quite unpredictable, even during the summer months.
« I can say that the best things about the workcamp and this whole experience were the chance of making a real difference to the lives of very needy children. This is an extremely valuable project where volunteers can have a massive impact. Also the possibility of learning a huge amount about a country so different from our own. I learnt ten times as much by carrying out a workcamp than I would ever do backpacking. »
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