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| Code: | WF24 |
| Country: | Iceland |
| Region: | Close to Arctic Circle |
| Title: | Close to the arctic circle - renovation camp |
| Start date: | 01 August 2015 |
| End date: | 12 August 2015 |
| Project type: | Environmental |
| Ages: | 18 - 70 |
| Partner organisation: | WF |
| UNA Exchange Placement Fee: | £210.00 find out about costing |
| Work: | This camp is about renovation, painting, cleaning and fixing things around the WF house. Raufarhofn is a very isolated place and in the same time very magical. We will work about 6 hours a day in order to make our house in the North a much better place to live. the house is old and we been using it in the last 4 years very much so it is the right time to renovate the place and give it a nice new look. Raufarhofn is a place full of energy and amazing landscapes. This is the right place to enjoy your free time taking photos and having walks around the coast line. For sure children and Youth from the village will very interesting to get to know you and take part in some of our cultural dinners or even workshops which we can develop if volunteers are happy and dynamic enough. If the weather allow us we will also work in cleaning the coast line around the town of Raufarhofn. Picking up garbage and making a better and cleaner place at least one or two days during the camp. This work camp is a way to enjoy an amazing time in Iceland with other international volunteers and to have an incredible experience where participants share their knowledge with each other while they are exploring creativity, environmental issues and intercultural learning. Leisure: There is few easy things to do in leisure time in Raufarhofn. There you can walk (about 18 km go and back) to the light house which is the most North Eastern point of Iceland. The line of the Arctic Circle frame that area of Iceland closing the water of Atlantic Ocean and opening the gates to the Greenlandic Sea. After having made the walk you can get a certificate in the local Hotel which confirms you visit to the Arctic Circle. Another positive thing about Raufarhofn especially if you like birds is that the village becomes a migrant birds nest giving so much life to the place. Raufarhofn is the Icelandic tundra, full of black and blue berries during the season. If you are volunteering while the berries season is taking place you will have the opportunity to make your own jam, brownies, cake and other delicious meals based on wild berries. Also the tundra area is full of lakes where fishing is easy to do and free as well. We will have some small fishing equipment to try to get some fresh catch of the day. :) |
| Location: | The village of Raufarhöfn is the community that lies farthest north in Iceland. It is located in the eastern part of Melrakkasletta close to the Arctic Circle. The population of Raufarhöfn is about 200 and most of the people there earn their living from fishing and fish processing. The harbor is very beautiful and partly shaped by nature itself. A wide and untouched open area surrounds the village with a lot of birds and varied vegetation. In summer one will observe wild migratory birds within the village being a part of the village life with the villagers most often waking up in the morning to the songs of birds. The coastline with its inlets and creeks is filled with driftwood and reaches out into the Arctic Sea. Away and on the surface of the sea various sea-birds will be spotted and an occasional seal. On the beach waders strut and inland on the grassy moorlands there are dozens of lakes filled with trout. In the vicinity many species of ducks, waders and species that favor heaths and moorlands may be observed. |
| Accommodation: | Worldwide Friends volunteers stay in the Worldwide Friends house offering basic facilities. Beds are provided, however volunteers should bring their own warm sleeping bags. Food is included for the duration of the workcamp, however everyone is expected to do their fair share of the cooking and cleaning. Since it is always nice to try new and different dishes, volunteers are encouraged to bring along their favorite recipes from home! |
| Special remarks: | Terminal: Intl. Airport: Keflavík (KEF), Reykjavík. The closest national airport to the camp site is Thorshofn airport which is 40km away from the project’s site. Flights arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF), just south of Reykjavik, Iceland. WF Iceland will offer a minibus trip from Reykjavik to Raufarhöfn for the price of 150 EURO which includes a trip around the island (Total 1.400 km) starting from Reykjavik going through the North to the East of the island. After the camp we will go through the east and south of Iceland. This trip includes unique Icelandic sights such as glacial lagoons, waterfalls, volcanic and geothermal areas, glaciers, geysirs, lava forests, hot-springs, rhyolite mountain ranges, steam-vents and icebergs. Additional Information: There is an Extra participation fee of 200,- Euro for this work camp. |
