After a busy first week in Sólheimar, our third group of volunteers in the village this year has settled into this unique community.

Our 14 volunteers, from the USA, Greece, Germany, Austria, Spain, The Netherlands and the UK, have been working alongside the local people throughout the village.

Some volunteers have had the opportunity to contribute to the whole process of growing organic cucumbers and tomatoes, from planting them to packing them ready to be sold (in bio-degradable containers of course!). Others volunteers have given their energies to the forestry section, helping to plant trees that will be used all over Iceland which may will help to enrich existing green spaces and re-vegetating other vulnerable areas throughout the country.

Next week will see a great international evening and a puppet show with a difference! Lead by the group’s Environmental Messenger, Lara Marx, they will be the first SEEDS volunteers to create an entry for the Beauty and the Beast competition, the competition for groups of volunteers throughout Europe to show that waste can be re-used (and be beautiful). The group here in Sólheimar is currently using the waste from the camp to make great puppets and a show for all the residents on their last night.

The artwork produced by the camp will be presented at a reception on Wednesday August 8th at 19:00 in the coffee house Kaffihúsið Græna kannan, which will be opened by Óskar Jón Helgason, Valgeir F. Backman from the village, as Lara Marx and Letizia Bottoli from SEEDS. Organic snacks and drinks will be served and the reception will feature a performance by the international volunteers. The reception is open to the public.

The artwork will find a new home at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. What used to be local garbage will become international art - alongside artworks from similar projects.

The project is a part of UNESCO’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (www.unesco.org). The project is organised by SEEDS (www.seedsiceland.org), which cooperates with CCIVS, the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service at UNESCO (www.unesco.org/ccivs). This is part of SEEDS' work to use volunteer exchanges to preserve the environment and create peace and mutual understanding.

More information on the campaign can be found on:

http://www.unesco.org/ccivs/New-SiteCCSVI/CcivsOther/esd/ESD2007.htm

On Sólheimar go to http://www.solheimar.is