Veraldarvinir - Worldwide Friends Bulletin - costal cleaning in Iceland

Photo credits: Søren Kristoffer Kløft

Cleaning the coastlines of Iceland

October 2020

About the project October 2020, Iceland. Young people from all around the world came to visit the Island of Fire and Ice. They came for a change – to create awareness, to spread knowledge and to clean up the coastlines. The journey of every volunteer is different. Some of them came after graduation, other were feeling lost in their lives and came here to find clarity and purpose.

But they all share one commonality: love for mother nature. Through different organizations in their home countries they got to know „Worldwide Friends Iceland“. As Toti, the head of the organization, says: „We are here to make international friendships.“ Worldwide Friends started their mission of cleaning up the coastlines in 2006. Since then, it has been a big part of the organization and they already cleaned 5000km of the coast of the Icelandic coast. At that time they collected everything: Even things that do not interfere with the ecosystem, such as metal and other materials. Seven to eight years ago the organization stopped taking materials that were not harmful to the environment, and focused on plastic, fishing nets, ropes and driftwood. Until today, they collected about 2000 tons of trash.

What is new?

From 2020, Worldwide Friends is collaborating with Hrafn Jökulsson aka „Raven“. They want to involve the public – the locals – so they don’t have to work only with volunteers from foreign countries. In the beginning, Raven only wanted to clean the area of Ingolsfjordur. He then invited the organization to clean this area with their volunteers. Because everything worked out so well, they decided to continue and expand the project. For this reason the organization has decided to leave other projects behind, for example pulling up the lupine. This project was like „a war that you know you are not going to win“. The plan now is to clean the coastline and to integrate the Icelanders to maintain it.

Another very important part of this project is awareness. You can already see results with the volunteering. Since the 14th of January 2020, a total of 532 volunteers have cleaned up 117 kilometers or rather 384.810 squaremeters of the coast of Iceland over the course of 1.947 hours. Resulting, in a staggering collection of 13.840 kg trash.

The volunteers of the project have the name „strandvörður“. This name is derived from the „landvörður“ (eng.: rangers), which protect the natural elements of Iceland. Therefore , the coast guard of Iceland has been given the name „strandvörður“, printed on bright red sweaters, referencing the movie Baywatch.

Garbage is not always trash. Some garbage is truly a treasure. Especially driftwood, which can be a super valuable resource, which could be sold for a lot of money – but you will read more about this topic on the next page. „Young people are the future of this planet, come and help us with your ideas“, like Toti, the head of Worldwide Friends says. Plastic is no invincible enemy. Join the „Coast Guard“ of Iceland. Become a strandvörður.

For our planet, for a better future.

- Alina Burmeister

From left: Hrafn Jökulsson, Christoffer Feger , Melanie Dengel, Lea Kohl, Elena-Raluca Pancu, Alina Burmeister, Konstantina Tsirampidou, Julia Kremer, Jannis Kloth, Alice Poggio, Gustavo Monje, Silke Van Broeck, Sebastian Diaz-Duran Fuentes, Felicitas Sedaghat Kerdar and Janina Gerlach

Driftwood and plastic, and their unexpectedly problematic relationship Brief History Almost all of the driftwood found on the icelandic coastlines is originally from the siberian forests. Lumberjacks used to cut down trees and then use the rivers and streams as means of transportation, often-times some of those logs got lost. Large storms would also uproot trees and send them down to the sea.

The driftwood spends an average of 5 to 10 years in the sea, making its way to northern iceland. At the time of the Norse men, forests made up 20% of the island’s surface area. The Vikings used the trees in order to build ships, homes and to heat up their homes, and ultimately managed to permanently reduce forests to a shocking 2%. This turned the driftwood into an incredibly valuable resource.

However, in the last 70 years, people have stopped collecting the driftwood. Getting it ready for use is a hassle and incredibly inconvenient for both local farmers as well as larger companies that require timber for construction. It unfortunately makes much more sense financially to order cheaper ‘ready to use’ timber from other countries, cutting out labour costs and therefore be able to increase their profit margin. All of these factors have caused the driftwood to accumulate.

Plastic and driftwood As driftwood floats in the sea it gets tangled up with fishing nets, and catches plenty of plastic and animals along the way. Their constant contact with large plastics acts as a battering ram, and slowly breaks it down into microscopic pieces. These microplastics are incredibly harmful for the environment and even more difficult to remove. Something us volunteers have experienced firsthand.

What to do?

Although driftwood was once an indispensable resource, nowadays the uses have become little to none. When in the sea or on the pebble shores, these logs are treasures and worth their weight in gold, once they come in contact with the soil, they begin to rot and become useless.

ROTTEN When it has already begun to rot, it cannot be salvaged. In some nordic countries they put it into a wood chipper, make it into mulch, and cover their mountain trails.

!

NOT ROTTEN When it rests on the rocks of the shore, it can be dried, worked and used. Once prepped, it is extremely precious, due to the 100% natural slow treatment the salt water provides in the 5-10 years it will spend in the ocean.

This wood, can be chopped up and used as fire wood, and the larger pieces can be given to farmers to used as construction material or to use for fencing around their land.

- Alice Poggio If you have any suggestions or you want to volunteer your means of transportation, machinery or time we’d love your input us a groups@wf.is

Once upon a time in Brú...

We arrived in Brú in the evening, Toti invited us in, and started showing us around the part of the house that is on its way to be renovated. It’s dusk and the derelict halls and empty rooms look spookier than they should, making the house hauntingly beautiful. We see broken windows, graffitied walls, crumbling ceilings, and a certain weight to the air, yet it seems as though we (the group of volunteers), are not seeing the same things as he.

He’s introducing us to a brief history of the place, sprinkling in some stories of the people that lived here as well, but his eyes and mind are elsewhere, and it‘s as if he’s got access to another dimension, or a parallel universe of sorts. It’s like he can see those employees here with their families, the restaurant buzzing with weary travelers and good food, the friendships made, the dinners cooked, the squabbles and discussions.

This place was built in 1949. Since then, it has proudly taken on many different important roles. It served for decades as a district for the Westfjords and a switchboard center for telephone lines, connecting the Northern and Southern services of Iceland. Then as a radio station, post office, fixed stop for scheduled road trips, restaurant, and often as a home for employees of the neighboring gas stations as well as for those that worked as telephone switchboard operators. During the last 15 years, efforts had been made to turn it into a museum and bed and breakfast, but with no success. The house was at that point damaged and run down, owned by the new gas station, still occasionally used as accommodation for employees.

Most important of all though, right there in front of us, now only lit by the moonlight, is pure materialised potential. Like a diamond in the rough.

One can only imagine the amount of good this place will help disperse into the world, and yet it’s there, as real as you and I. He looks on, into the silence which now envelops us like a blanket, and we start to travel along to these dimensions. They start out as weak flickers here and there, and develop into stronger flashes, they morph into silhouettes of people, like ghosts of the future, slowly but surely making their way through the halls, filling them up with laughter and life.

Then the visions fade, he breaks the silence we dared not, by shifting his attention to us, a wide-eyed group of volunteers he has just met, and tells us that he hopes we will return to Brú later on in our lives, for nothing would make him happier than to welcome us and our future families here.

I sat down with Toti, head of the organisation, and Steini and Bjarki, two of the project managers.

When asked why they had chosen this house, Toti said simply that they saw an article in the paper, inviting people to offer projects for it. They contacted the landlords around March, and by July they had signed a 20 year contract. Toti said that it was almost too good to be true, both for its historical and symbolic significance, as well as its perfect location, the intersection between the Northern, Southern, and Western regions.

Bjarki was kind enough to help us visualize things a little better, by drawing the map to the right, illustrating all of the changes that took place over time, as well as entertaining us with some fun facts, one being that 100% of this building’s electricity once came from a generator in the basement, which got water from the river that hugs the house. This generator is around 50 years old, meaning this building was sustainable long before it’s time. Another interesting fact, is that the old gas station was started and set up by a truck driver that was fed up with the standard of gas station food.

If these stories don’t sum up perfectly, the kind of innovative, problem solving, ‘why not’ attitude of the Icelandic people, I’m not sure what does.

What I do know for sure, is that this attitude, and spirit is exactly what is needed in order to bring all of Worldwide Friends’ wonderful projects to fruition. They have many projects and plans, but their priority now is regarding awareness.

Their goal is to build a framework which better allows the Icelandic communities, especially the younger generations, to volunteer and take part in the work camps. In order to ensure that they are just as much of an integral part of saving Iceland from climate change as the now nearly 20.000 volunteers that have come from all over the world, to take a shift as temporary keepers of this magical land.

In the war against climate change, you’d want to be able to say to your grandchildren that you did not sit idly by, as glaciers melted, forests burned, pandemics raged on, and ecosystems were destroyed beyond recognition. This is the philosophy we need to adopt and spread.

- Alice Poggio

Q

&

A

Steindor is one of the project managers from the organisation, who has lately been working mainly on the renovation projects for the house in Brú. I sat down with him to gain a better understanding of the place and what the future has in store for it.

He said that the end-goal would be to have this become a sustainable educational centre for younger children, young adults, and university students.

In his opinion, Iceland’s root problem in dealing with climate change is the Icelandic mentality towards volunteering. It is apparently not well regarded, seen as free labour, a sneaky way to be exploited, a scam.

If they are not promised monetary compensation or school credit they are highly unlikely to participate. When I asked if he could provide me with some statistics comparing the number of Icelandic volunteers to that of the ones from the rest of the world, he said that it is so painfully low, that he can remember all of their names.

We then did some digging, and found that the number is a shocking total of 18 people of Icelandic nationality from 2003 till now. Over the course of 17 years. I do need to point out that these numbers are only regarding volunteers that worked for Worldwide Friends, and not of all Icelandic organisations, so please consider them within their context.

Nonetheless, it now seems clear to us as well, that the Icelanders need the promise of something more tangible in order to take part in the work camps.

The problem is, that the best things in life are the most abstract and fleeting.

Friendships, love, pride, happiness, laughter…

Thankfully some of the other abstract things are less fleeting, arguably more valuable and certainly a part of the volunteering work camps. Personal growth, practical skills on: leadership, conflict resolution, organisation, time-management, as well as empathy and patience, to name a few.

So, if this aforementioned mentality could be changed, then it would start a succession of positive effects, finally setting into motion many of the organisation’s other projects. The locals are the last necessary piece of the puzzle, because a sustainable, long-term solution is simply unattainable without their involvement.

In my humble opinion Icelanders are just too used to this beautiful place. In italian there‘s a saying : “ chi ha pane non ha denti” which loosely translates into “who has bread, has no teeth” meaning that the people that have something amazing can‘t appreciate it. I feel it rings especially true in this case.

It is our job to get them to understand that this place, to the rest of the world, is without exaggeration, magical.

Where else can you see breath-taking lights in the overwhelmingly starry night sky that touch the earth and come join you for a dance or two? Winds that make you almost believe you’re about to take off and soar, and scenery that could be taken out of a sci-fi movie, set in unspoilt and undiscovered worlds.

In order to fix this, these are some of the ideas for possible programs that Steini has outlined for me: For younger children, a visit here could turn into a short field trip or mini work camp where they would have workshops to learn about the United Nations’ childrens’ rights, plant trees, have cooking classes, become part of the young ‘coast-guards’ with organised beach cleanings in Bitrufjörður (dubbed the filthiest beach in Iceland), take part in cultural evenings, play football with goals made out of the driftwood and the nets collected on the beaches, sing songs, watch the northern lights, and listen to icelandic folklore by the bonfire. These could be in different languages as well. Making it a great summer camp for kids wanting to improve their english skills. This would without a doubt turn them into more well-rounded individuals, taking a break from academia, which as we adults all know, is certainly not the most important thing in life.

The older kids and university students could have a more active role in the work camps and workshops, and volunteer for longer periods of time.

Steini however points out, that this would only really be a feasible plan, if the schools could introduce a system or program that would validate volunteering in exchange for approved school credit. Bjarki, one of the project managers here, feels strongly about this and would definitely want to work on making it a reality. He points out that in Mexico, they have a program involving volunteer work as university credit, and as he beautifully puts it: “has increased volunteering by an imperial fuckton”, managing to steal a smile and bring levity to a serious issue. He hopes that some viable options will soon come about. He is the only person that has ever received school credit for this type of work, or at least back then, in 2016.

I then went on to ask Steini what other plans are afoot and he told me I’ll have to ‘speak to the man with the dreams’ his father toti, the head of the organization.

In the meantime, this is a vague preview: Workcamp, restaurant, education centre, museum, art gallery, sustainability centre, control base.

Steini stops to think for a minute, and then tells me that Toti has driven here every single day all the way from Reykjavik in order to work on the house, and check up on its progress.

He then resumes to speak about the future plans for the house, and his eyes shine with hope and excitement in anticipation of all the people that will come through these doors and the memories that will be made here. It is clear that his father‘s passion for the cause has managed to trickle down across generations and settle onto him as well. How could it not.

When Toti arrived, I asked him to start speaking a little bit about why and in which ways this house in Bru is special and important to him and Veraldarvinir.

“Well of course the location first of all, it is at the crossroad to the west, north and south.”

“It was the chance to have another of our OWN houses that connects to the ones in the northeast and east. We didn’t always have them and were often guests in larger buildings. It is important to be able to work, to stay in and to have a proper base, somewhere to keep our tools and materials.”

Toti then goes on to explain what must be done in order to get this place properly moving.

“We need to fix the generator, grow our own fruits and vegetables, grow trees and tree saplings to plant later on.”

I asked him why this matter is so pressing.He explains: “In order to have a sustainable house, you need to create energy on your own. It is imperative in order to achieve our most important goal of educating and spreading awareness. We cannot leave ny room for hypocrisy, we need to set an example, get the generator running, grow own food, and leave as little waste as humanly possible.”

He starts to think back about past projects and objectives, and about the organisation’s shift from pulling lupine, an endless and thankless job he agreed to refer to as “sewing water”, to cleaning the coastline.

They only recently made this shift, and with Raven’s help have developed an long-term goal, which now seems to be more realistic: cleaning the beaches and delivering them back to the locals for safe-keeping, turning THEM into the ‘coast guards’, or “Strandvörður”.

“Strandvörður” is a concept Toti is very proud of. Forest rangers here are called “Landvörður” which loosely means “Guardians of the land”.

He wanted a title that would fit the work the beach cleaning teams have been doing. This name as well as giving them a uniform, creates an added sense of pride and belonging.

As well as a funny inside joke and nod to the popular tv show “Baywatch” , although we are not running on a beach in slow motion and saving lives, but rather, as Raven puts it: “Rescuing the lost plastic, and liberating the shores of the fjords” However, just like Steini mentioned earlier, he likes to point out that the most important project of all is awareness, he reflects: “as an organization we have been neglecting the promotion and media side of things, you work in the field and you’re focused on that” He doesn’t want it to be that way anymore, because he has realised how truly powerful information can be, and how much spreading the word on all the work that is being done, is almost as important as the work itself.

After all, as Berkeley so annoyingly put: „If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?“ Thankfully the solution to our awareness and promotion problem is much simpler than quantum physics.

Toti heartily believes in empowering the younger generations, and has great faith in today‘s youth: “young people like our volunteers are the future of this planet” he said, and follows with: “They are the ones that can help us come up with better, innovative ideas and solutions” Then I ask: “What does it mean to you now, to see the pictures of people staying here, creating connections and memories, or even just to come here and see the renovation works inching closer and closer to that image in your mind?”

“Amazing, really, really great, we got the house in July, waited for electricity for about two months, and couldn’t really do much until September. To see the house come alive is beautiful, I can’t wait to see it full of volunteers, planting trees, collecting seeds. I also see it as a place that’s open for the public, where people can grab a cup of coffee and plant a tree.”

I asked him about the educational side that Steini spoke of earlier, and he says he just wants “to make people think about their way of living, and to treat the planet how they would want to deliver it to the next generations” The idea is that it’ll be accessible to people in Reykjavik that are interested in learning more about the organisation and their projects, and ideally even take part in them.

Another interesting concept is this “Forest of Friends”. A gridded plot of land, to be mapped out with a drone, and divided up by countries. Its form would take the likeness of a world map. They have a valley in mind, and a neighboring ‘view-point’ where you would be able to see the whole picture. They could have different plants for different continents or countries, play around with different heights and textures of trees and almost ‘paint’ with nature. Once you have planted your tree in your country of choice, you would be given a coordinate and would always be able to come back to it years later to see it all grown up.

To sum it up, Brú can most certainly be considered as both the key and the symbol for the future of the organisation, of the Icelandic coasts and trees, and its youth.

The people in charge are passionate, and realistic yet hopeful for a better future.

Toti is “the man with the dreams” , but the dreams he carries are too big for one man.

Thankfully he’s got a team with broad shoulders, and his contagious attitude is helping to recruit many more to join, such as the volunteers, even if it’s just to carry the load for a work camp or two.

- Alice Poggio

New Flora We are wandering around the icy land, looking down, carefully stepping on the delicate moss. The area abounds in vivid colors and fresh scents. You can feel the vegetation melting beneath your feet. Over the uninterrupted green field we see a patch of blue. An odd colour, peeking out off the ground. What is this new flora that we have just encountered? As we approach for closer inspection, everything becomes clearer, and unfortunately, more artificial. Something Mother Nature didn’t ask for. The thick layers of topsoil have entrapped the plastic travelers that decided to make the northern fjords of iceland their final resting place, the fishermans’ nets and ropes which now seem to belong there as much as the algae and the grass, with their long stalks and roots, envelop and entrap everything in their path, and peek out of the earth like daisies.

- Alice Poggio / Elena Pancu

Examples: - a piece of wood from a Viking ship - a doll that one little girl from Greenland lost 10 years ago Sometimes you need to crawl through trash to find real treasures.

Treasure

...something that someone has lost ...something that was traveling for years in the ocean to meet you ...something that was hidden for a long time waiting for you to uncover it Beneath the land that’s filled with grace, Feeble creatures march with pace.

They need to gather, They need to listen, Mayor spider begins his transmission: ,,The pantry’s hollow, There’s a mission we need to follow!

Scavenge for food, Where the holy water greets the wood”.

The team began to form.

Five ants, three bugs and a worm.

Five days have passed, With nothing to amass.

Suddenly, the faith restored, There’s a glimpse of hope on the shore.

A hope that’s blue and tangled, and smells of fish.

Maybe this will answer our wish?

The ants begin to chase along the maze, but alas, remained forever trapped in its ways.

The bugs continued their campaign.

With nothing but colored objects to gain.

This bizzare land is full of everything but food, So they need to have their path renewed.

They come across this manmade room, It fills with water and soon face their doom.

Soon, the little worm decided to return, Sorrowful, empty handed, but with a lesson to learn, His town was hungry, the mission failed, He saw them and inhaled.

He told them stories about the brothers left behind, About plastic and the humankind.

...something with a story to tell

Trash or Treasure?

Trash ...something somebody threw away ...people do not want to be near it ...you have to get dirty to collect them ...they smell bad

Examples: - plastic bags in all conditions - packagings from care products or paper boxes

- Elena Pancu

Beach Clean-Up Survival Guide If you are wondering about the most important things to know and think about, before going beach cleaning, here are a few tips from the veteran beach-cleaners for your first journey to the northern coasts... ... don‘t forget your waterproof clothes and boots, even if it does not look like rain, ... prepare a big box of food for lunch (otherwise your volunteers get hangry!), ... do not forget your camera – you will find treasures that you want to photograph, ... if you are not Raven, do not forget your work gloves, to collect the muddy trash, ... accept the fact that you will be stepping into some poop, ... if you get cold or do not feel motivated anymore, use our playlist for a little dance-break - Alina Burmeister

Work hard, play harder!

Volunteering in Iceland is the perfect combination of work and fun. After spending six hours beach cleaning, collecting trash in the biting cold winds, and temperamental rains, we like to engage in multiple activities so our minds can both rest and reflect on what we’ve done during the day.

This beautiful island has taught us that is never too cold to go to the pool. After a chilly day, our bodies crave for some hot water and relaxation, where we often play games, talk and recharge.

Because we are always on the move, travelling from one fjord to another, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by the alluring landscapes and are eager to learn more about the icelandic culture and people, often annoying our own icelandic travel companions. In our free time, we love organizing day trips, around our camp base, enjoying the views, taking pictures for our families back home and waiting for the northern lights to animate the sky.

This experince has brought people from all kinds of different backrounds together, working towards the same goal, albeit for different reasons. We believe we have found ‘’our’’ people. We share the same values and vision for the future, and our evenings look more like family gathering than anything else. We love to cook, clean and dance together, oftentimes simultaneously.

- Elena Pancu

Hrafn JĂśkulsson Raven has always wanted to make Iceland a better place. After coming across nature blended with plastic and driftwood, how to achieve his mission became clear. Raven realized that most of the coastlines of the country needed to be looked after with major care. The ecosystem is obviously severely affected by pollution, as well as the locals and tourists in search of great adventures and new experiences. Taking into account all of these issues, WorldWide Friends understood Raven‘s mission. Together they created a platform that allows young adults from all around the world to come to Iceland and pour their humanitarian hearts out in order to complete all of these necessary missions. Besides cleaning the coastlines, raising awareness on environmental issues on a local and global level, adopting actions aimed to blossom positive outcomes, the most thrilling and satisfying task is without a doubt, to be amongst people of different nationalities, which bring a sense of commitment and friendship. The foundation of this partnership between Raven and WorldWide Friends lies in the centre of our existence and shared common values; after working in challenging places and dealing with our everyday misbehaved responses towards our ecosystem, the satisfaction takes first place when we can see (and prove!) that our genuine actions are having a tremendous impact on the world. We work hard, but we play harder after. There is nothing more exciting than watching the sunset with your friends from the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece and so forth in a place where volcanoes, glaciers, hot springs, playful northern lights and beaches of black sand co-exist peacefully.

- Konstantina Tsirampidou / Gustavo Monje

If each one of you could see the world through Raven’s eyes, your island could be a better place to live...

For this man it’s at the same time his duty and his pleasure to clean or as he likes to say „to liberate the coastline“. He is completely focused on this goal. It’s a personal bet for him and he is going to win it sooner or later.

“Oh captain, my captain”: He is so passionate with this mission that he empowers the whole team to work hard not because we have to, but because we want to be part of his plan. He has a unique way to describe everything from the smallest part of the ecosystem to things that he just finds in the garbage and makes them sound really special.

“Our limit is the sky”, as he likes to say. This man is a visionary and the next years we will see amazing things from him.

- Konstantina Tsirampidou

How I Met My Worldwide Friends.

Haaaaaave you met... „Hi, I‘m a project management consultant from Germany. I decided to take 4 weeks off, to get my thoughts clear and escape the working routine. Wanted to simply help with something meaningful. But I found much more here.“

funny

„I‘m passionate to help other people. I came to Iceland with the purpose to help clean the beaches and learn more about environmental protection.

But I got so much more: pure happy moments, amazing landscape impressions and a big international family which I don’t want to leave.“

sweet

wise Captain

friendly helpful

organized

reliable

Christoffer

„I’m a german girl who is totally into doing music, cooking for friends and tattoo-art. I came to Iceland because I needed a beak from studying and also I‘m very interested in sustainability and traveling the world.“

31 year old from Germany

19 year old from Germany

well-caring

unique

musical

Alina 24 year old from Germany

pro card shuffler

proud latino

hard working

best laugh

zodiac interpreter

brutally honest

Janina

ironic

„I am a globetrotter, born in Guatemala, and went to Italy to study at the University of Padova. Currently living a dream in Iceland. I have been 26 year old from Guatemala with Worldwide Friends since february 2020, first as a volunteer and now as a staff member.

I enjoy being in charge of groups of volunteers. I have learned that in Iceland you have to be prepared for anything, expect the unexpected and be quick at problem solving. That is why I never get bored at work! I don’t see my job as such, rather as a unique opportunity to make a change.“

Sebastian

patient

energetic

2000s-music-lover

audacious

inspirational

Melanie

creative

18 year old from Germany

„I am on my way to Canada. Now I am here, part of a wonderful project. My first four weeks here on Iceland I explore this island with others. Afterwards I try to fight my way through Iceland alone.“

Alice 24 year old from Italy

„I‘m lost and confused but not 100% discouraged just yet. Here in Iceland I’m finding time for reflection and purpose, thanks to the projects we have had the privilege to work on, but most importantly the incredible people keeping me company on this journey.“

„Hey, I‘m Lena, a Romanian young adult committed to change. The Land of Ice allowed me to navigate through beauty, adventure and friendship.“

strong

scary

inquisitive

calm

thoughtful

diligent

sarcastic kind

Elena

„I am here in Iceland because I want to explore the world; see, and learn something new. With the beach cleaning we can make a first, vital step, to change something and hopefully inspire more people to take care of the environment, because we are all in this together!“

22 year old from Romania

empathetic

Lea 18 year old from Germany

banana-addict

friendly mother figure

contagious laugh

„I‘m not quite sure where to go in life. But Mission: Giving back as much as I can to make this world a better place even when it‘s just a small step. Apart from that I came to Iceland to challenge myself in a difficult environment to increase my adaptability and my team leader skills to finally grow as a person.“

peaceful

Jannis 22 year old from Germany

„I just graduated from med school. I came to Iceland because I found this project really interesting and I wanted to become a part of this. I am very grateful that I had this opportunity because this project greatly exceeded my expectations in the best way!“

„Brazilian/Scottish lad that has been travelling around the world looking after meaningful purposes related to human rights and climate change. This opportunity is enhancing not only my professional skills, but also giving me the right skill sets and positive changes on a personal level.“

bread baker caring

Julia 28 year old from Germany

dancing machine

positive

„Hey, I‘m a HR manager, trying to escape office work for 2 months to give something back to the world, help nature recover, gain new energy and inspiration. I‘m so thankful to get the chance to participate in this project and to meet so many great people.“

fun officer

night owl

witty

Konstantina

english-translator

24 year old from Greece

gracious sparkling

dancing king

lovely expressive

Gustavo

30 year old from Brazil

tough cookie

„I‘m for four weeks in Iceland.

Even though I have only been here for a short time, the projects we‘re working on have already been a great experience and it‘s a privilege to be able to help out in this wonderful country.“

Felicitas

18 year old from Germany

„Only the sky is the limit“ - Hrafn Jökulsson

Design & Layout: Alina Burmeister