Inspired by Iceland
SEEDS 082. History & Culture Festival in the West fjords
West Fjords
SEEDS Iceland
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From 21.07.2014 to 01.08.2014
Type: Festival / Environmental / Construction
Number of volunteers: 8
Language: English will be the language in the camp; high proficiency is not required.
Accomodation: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a local school sharing rooms. Volunteers will have access to toilets and shower facilities. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Participation fee: 200 EUR
Extra: SEEDS volunteers will get the chance to participate in the town fair, access to the swimming pool and other leisure activities during their stay.

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will have, for the third year in a row, the opportunity to work in the West Fjords of the country doing various tasks preparing for a village fair and helping during the fair itself. The festival wants to promote the local History and Culture, so this project is very good for volunteers interested in these aspects in a remote isolated area of the country.

Tasks will include beautifying the area in and around the town, helping with the village festivities by preparing for evening shows and entertainment during the festival, beautifying the area before the fair as well as cleaning up after the festival itself.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a local school sharing rooms. Volunteers will have access to toilets and shower facilities. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Volunteers will receive food and be in charge of the cooking, cleaning activities and will divide the tasks among themselves. The food will partly be from the surrounding area giving volunteers a chance to try the local fare and experience with local ingredients.

Please do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home for the international evening.

LOCATION: Volunteers will stay in the West fjords of Iceland, in the municipality of Reykhólahreppur, which is located about 280 kilometres from Reykjavík. The municipality is located south in the West fjords. In 2012 the population of Reykhólahreppur was around 271 inhabitants, this is not a typo, making it the 60th most populous municipality in Iceland.

The area boasts of beautiful landscape which catches the eye of everyone who travels through. It is a great place to stop and enjoy nature, go for hikes and for bird watching. The village gives a unique and beautiful view of the Breiðafjörður Bay. Geothermal heat can be found in the area, one of the few areas in the West fjords which have geothermal heat, and in the olden days it was used to grow corn. The only Algae factory in Iceland is located in Reykhólahreppur and it is environmentally friendly, algae growth at the inshore of Breiðafjörður is harvested and then the geothermal heat is used to dry the algae.

Economically, the town is quite different from many other of the Westfjord communities. It is not a fishing village, due in large to the shallow waters of the eastern end of Breiðafjörður. Historically, however, it has made its way over the years through the harvest of natural resources. In the past this has included the harvesting of seals and birds, the history of which is documented in the Gifts of Nature Museum located adjacent to the tourist information center.

This is quite a historic place which is mentioned in many Viking Sagas especially the one of Grettir the strong or Grettissaga. The local swimming pool is named after him and is called Grettislaug.   

The distance is around 200km from Reykjavík, 240km from Ísafjörður and 350km from Akureyri.

LANGUAGE: English will be the language in the camp; high proficiency is not required.

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus, Central Bus Station (BSÍ).

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camp and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers to meet and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). To be paid to SEEDS on arrival in Euros or Icelandic Krónur.

Free time activities will be organized for SEEDS volunteers by our hosting partner.

SEEDS volunteers will get the chance to participate in the town fair, access to the swimming pool and other leisure activities during their stay.

Age: 18+

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