Iceland Trail Team Volunteers

Group 1:         30^th May – 18^th August         

Group 2:         6^th June – 25^th August

The ICV Trail Team programme is organised by the Environment Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun). Trail Teams work on a wide variety of trail construction projects and other conservation management tasks throughout the country’s national parks and nature reserves, often staying in camps within these areas. Volunteers work in small teams and travel between worksites to complete a series of practical projects. The programme runs for 11 weeks and the teams usually spend one or two weeks in each location. No previous experience of this work is necessary as all training will be provided; however, enthusiasm and team spirit are essential. Due to the strenuous nature of our work, participants must be physically fit. Applicants should have some experience of practical work, camping and hill walking. The remoteness of worksites and Iceland’s notoriously changeable weather make the volunteer programme both an adventure and a challenge. Applicants must be over 20 years of age.

Upland footpath repair work is a very important part of the management of Iceland’s national parks and nature reserves. Trail repair work involves working with timber and stone and includes the construction of bridges, boardwalks, drains and steps. Other tasks include ground clearance, drainage work and a great deal of digging! The tools most relied upon are iron bars for rock moving and picks and shovels for ground work (machines are however used to make the work easier where possible). Other trail tasks include way-marking, survey work and sign installation.

An important role of the Trail Teams is to support the work of local rangers and in addition to trail work our teams are involved in all other aspects of practical management in the protected areas. Volunteer teams are involved in GPS mapping, data collection and the removal of invasive plant species. Although lupin (lupines nootkatensis) now grows throughout Iceland, efforts are now being made to control its spread in national parks and nature conservation areas. Alongside the actual plant removal itself, our teams collect data to help monitor the extent of the problem and the success of the removal operations. This project is being developed and managed in partnership with staff from the University of Iceland. ICV teams are now also taking a leading role in wilderness restoration work, transplanting moss in damaged highland areas within the nature reserves. Techniques are currently being developed to help restore areas that have been damaged by the impact from visitors.