Iceland Forest Service | Thórsmörk Trail Volunteers

Feb 19

Preparing for summer…

After two busy months of planning, applications and interviews, our summer teams are now almost ready.

Once again, this season we have received a huge amount of interest in the placements and there have been some difficult decisions when making the selection. It is always very exciting to meet our new volunteers and discuss the summer plans and we are delighted to welcome back so many old friends to the team. In response to this season’s large number of strong applications, we have stretched the teams to include as many of them as possible.

Although places for our short-term teams in Thórsmörk have now been allocated, applications for our new long-term volunteer placements will remain open until March 31st. As well as projects in Thórsmörk and Goðaland, this new team of long-term volunteers will work alongside our colleagues and help maintain forest trails on other sites in South Iceland. These additional placements have been created to help increase our capacity for undertaking trail maintenance tasks in new project areas.

We will now begin to prepare the work tasks, equipment and materials for the season. We plan to escape from the office and return to Thórsmörk for preparations and trail surveys in April (when conditions allow) and our first volunteers will join us there and begin the practical work in May. We are very much looking forward to the summer ahead.

Jan 26

Final call for volunteers for our 2023 Trailteams!

Applications for our Thórsmörk Trailteams will close next week as we are nearing the end of our search for international volunteers who will join us this summer. If you are still considering a 3 or 6-week volunteer placement this season, please do get in contact before January 31st.

No previous experience of trail construction work is necessary as practical training will be provided. We are looking for participants who have some experience of camping and hill walking, enjoy wilderness landscapes and are ready for a challenge. Iceland’s notoriously changeable weather means that our teams have to be well prepared with warm clothing, good waterproofs and sturdy tents. Due to the strenuous nature of our work, participants must be physically fit and as many of our work sites are in remote locations, we do a lot of hiking to get to them! Our team is chosen from applicants and there is no participation fee.

Full details about the placements including dates and application forms can be found on our website…
https://trailteam.is/opportunities/

Our Thórsmörk Trailteam applications close on Tuesday, January 31st and the remaining placements will be confirmed by February 15th.
Applications for our new long-term volunteer placements will remain open.

Jan 7

Trailteam volunteering in 2023

Our first days back at work this week have been busy with volunteer applications and interviews for the summer Trailteams and we are delighted to receive so much interest in our programme.

It has been very exciting to start putting together the teams and meet some of our new volunteers as well as catch up with old friends who will be joining us again in Thórsmörk this season. Interviews and placement allocations are now well underway and we are looking forward to another Trailteam summer.

The teams are already starting to fill up so if you are considering joining us, please do get in touch. Full details about our summer placements including dates and application forms can be found on our website. Applications will remain open until January 31st.

Volunteer opportunities

Dec 30

Video from Thórsmörk

As we gather our 2023 Trailteams, we are receiving a lot of enquires about the placements, our work tasks and conditions at our volunteer camps.

This short film was made by Johnny Rolt and Ollie Campbell when they joined us a few years ago. It shows the experience of our Trailteam volunteers and captures the spirit of the programme. For anyone thinking of join us for the first time this season, the film gives a good idea of what to expect from our volunteer placements.

2023 Dates, details and application forms are available here… Volunteer opportunities.

Dec 17

Food at the volunteer camps

During the summer Trailteam projects, domestic tasks at our volunteer camps are shared between the teams. Our volunteers take part in organising the food and preparing the meals.

Facilities at our volunteer camps are basic but our volunteers are inventive and make some delicious food.

We have begun the search for volunteers for 2023 and applications are now open. Dates, details and application forms are available here… Volunteer opportunities

Here are some pictures from last season…