Valahnúkur steps (2012)
Timber steps built by our team in 2012 – looking good after their second winter.
May 6
Timber steps built by our team in 2012 – looking good after their second winter.
In about two weeks time, the Thórsmörk Trail Volunteers return to Langidalur for their second summer season. Ahead of us are 5 months of camping and practical conservation work… and maybe some adventures in Thórsmörk!
This summer, over 60 international volunteers have signed-up to join us. Registration is now completed, (apart from the last few stragglers) and this season we hope to complete more than 200 weeks of trail maintenance and erosion control work throughout the area. We are especially excited about hosting our new 2-week placements. Created and developed last winter, this short-term “free volunteering” programme will be running for the first time this season. Our little programme continues to evolve.
Our training and induction week for team leaders will take place at Langidalur in May following an initial period of preparations and survey work to create this summer’s task list. Everything will be in place in time for the arrival of our first volunteer teams on June 1st.
It is very exiting to be returning to Langidalur, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming our volunteers and getting started!
Our weekend pre-summer planning meeting recently took place at Monkton Wyld Court, a sustainable community in Dorset, UK. It was our first activity outside Iceland and the aim of the meeting was to gather together people who will be joining us this summer, to answer questions and explain our plans. We were able to catch up with old friends as well as get to know some of the volunteers who will be joining us in Thórsmörk for the first time this season. We were also able to finalise details of the leaders training week that will take place in Thórsmörk in May. The last stages of preparation for volunteers joining us this season will take place in our forum; Langidalur.is.
Our meeting took the form of a weekend of practical conservation and organic gardening. On Saturday our work included cutting willow, clearing out a stream and processing fire wood. On Sunday the team worked in the gardens, digging and preparing for potatoes and experimenting with the harrow. We do hope that experiencing the human harrow team didn’t put anyone off too much, and we look forward to seeing everyone again this summer in Thórsmörk.
We would like to thank the community at Monkton Wyld Court for hosting the meeting, for their support and friendship, and for the extremely good food!
More pictures from the weekend.
Although our friends in the north might not feel it yet, summer is most definitely on the way!
We are now only about 4 week away from returning to Langidalur to setup the volunteer base camp in preparation for official start of the 2014 programme planned for 20th May.
As we move into our fieldwork season, we need to complete the registration process for everyone intending to join us this summer. Once we are back out on the trails, communications can be difficult (we don’t leave anyone behind in the office) so we ask all our returning volunteers to complete the registration process by 18th April.
Don’t miss your chance!
We would like to invite our new volunteers, and everyone who has worked with us in Thórsmörk and Goðaland, to join our Þórsmörk Team News group on Facebook.