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Conservation volunteering in Iceland

COUNTRY:
Iceland
DEPARTURES:
2012: 24 Jun, 8 Jul, 22 Jul, 5 Aug
PRICE:
From £345 (14 days) excluding flights
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can not be used with this holiday
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Conservation volunteering in Iceland

Conservation volunteering in Iceland

Volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world.
Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.

How this holiday makes a difference

Now one of the coolest holiday destinations in Europe, Iceland is receiving ever increasing numbers of visitors. As tourism grow, the pressure on Iceland’s fragile natural ecology increases. The challenge is to protect both vegetation and geological formations from damage and this is done through the construction and maintenance of hiking trail networks. Well maintained paths enable people to visit these amazing areas without damaging them and this important work also helps to improve safety for visitors.

As the UK's biggest environmental volunteering charity, our aim is to make the maximum contribution to the communities and places we work in and we always work with a local partner organisation. These are unique holidays in a unique place. Working directly with the Environmental Agency staff, volunteers and local people you'll have the chance to experience Iceland in a way no other holiday can offer. Living, laughing and working as a group, you're not only changing the world, you'll change your life.

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Conservation volunteering in Iceland

Conservation volunteering in Iceland

Reviewed 20 Aug 2008 by Hannah Howard5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Completing our path project, and having people walk on it and compliment us on it.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Go for it, and don't worry about the meeting point or the food, which is plentiful and good quality with lots of biscuits. And prepare for any weather.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


It benefited tourists to the area, but they are mostly Icelandic, so yes. It made it easier for people to hike without affecting the environment.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Brilliant.

Reviewed 02 Sep 2006 by Kathleen Murphy5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Staying at Skaftafell for 2 weeks - most people would stay at the campsite for a few nights. We were able to see the park at times when other visitors had left. Mostly it felt like our private playground! Also - on our day off, project leaders took us to parts of the park that maybe not otherwise see. A real joy.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Work was hard - and when they say physically fit they mean it. However, we were encouraged to do what we could and I believe the group worked well to help improve access in the national park. Working, and living, in close proximity for some time means that people need to be able to get on with others and leave egos at home. All good on our group and really enjoyed meeting diverse group of folk. Take time out at beginning or end of holiday to travel a little to see sites beyond the park and Reykjavik - Iceland is a thrilling country and good to get to other parts as all so varied.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


We got excellent feedback from the park manager about our work, and the project leaders were very clear about minimising impact of our work eg. where we walked when searching for stones or gravel, how we left sites etc. I believe it did benefit local people insofar as their national park is a better place after we left it.

4. Any other comments?


As to how I rate the holiday - maximum stars. Learnt a lot, enjoyed the work, met new people and felt we did something that mattered. The Iceland UST should be proud of how they are engaging volunteers - and it really was a 'win-win' type of holiday for all. Thanks for putting the opportunity on your website.

Reviewed 12 Aug 2006 by Nicola Fenton5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The most memorable part was going to an open air concert in one of the national parks and also travelling overland for 2 days and staying in a mountain hut by a lake fed by 2 glaciers and watching the moon rise on one side and the sun set on the other.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


The work is strenuous, but you can take it at your own pace. Working gloves definitely help against splinters.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes, the work was in collaboration with local people (the environment agency of Iceland) and worked in harmony with the landscape.
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Holiday Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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Conservation volunteering in Iceland
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