Ecovillage - One with Nature

Sólheimar, Iceland‘s first and only eco-village, is located in southwest Iceland, 80 kilometers long (50 miles) east of Reykjavík. Founded in 1930 by a young visionary named Sesselja Sigmundsdóttir (1902-1974), the place has become reputable for its innovation and its ecological concept, attracting visitors and volunteers from all over the world. It is a community where people with or without special needs live and work together. Sólheimar is a pioneer of practicing organic farming. In Sólheimar there is an organically certified greenhouse, forestry, and arboretum. Other environmental-friendly projects in Sólheimar include geothermal energy and recycling. 

The heart of the Sólheimar ideology is to give all individuals a fair chance and to maximize their potential. By focusing on individuals' possibility instead of their limitations, Sólheimar aims to create the space for each resident to take every opportunity that arises for each person to grow and develop. Versatility is the strength of Sólheimar so people with special needs that reside here will always be the center of the community. This works through the idea of reverse integration: those without special needs adapt to the abilities of those who do, they can work together to make their community one of an equal and sustainable one. The foundation of the ideology of Sólheimar derives from the visions and lifework of Sesselja herself. 

The main work in this camp will be with the forestry called Ölur and also in the greenhouses which are called Sunna. Volunteers will be working in the greenhouses planting and harvesting vegetables, doing weed control and sometimes you will also be gardening. The work might involve work around the property painting or fixing things. During the winter volunteers will also have to help remove snow and keep the walk paths clear for the residents. Working hours are 09.00 to 16.00 with one hour break for lunch and there are some coffee breaks as well. Our work will depend on weather conditions, which is why we must be flexible. You should be prepared for unfriendly weather, as they say: if you don’t like the Icelandic weather, just wait 5 minutes it might change. 

Our work will depend on the needs of the local community and the season. This is a perfect camp for people who like outdoor work and physical challenges. Working hours are on average 5-6 hours a day, 5 days a week. 

There are always one or more leaders for each camp, depending on the size of the group. Leaders represent the link between the hosting community, WF, and the group of volunteers. They coordinate the work, organize leisurely activities and plan excursions, shopping, and cooking sessions. Apart from these additional responsibilities, they are equal to other volunteers. Most of our camp leaders are from other countries, as we are very open-minded in hosting international leaders from other organizations. All our leaders start their program with one week of training. 

Depending on your work camp, the first morning usually is a late one, as everybody is tired from the long travel. On the first day, your Camp Leader will explain about: ➔ The House ➔ Community/area ➔ Waste Recycle ➔ Daily cleaning ➔ Work ➔ Leisure Activities You will all participate in the elaboration of a Week Schedule, dividing the tasks equally between all the volunteers and camp leaders, which will include: Cooking, Cleaning, Work, Free time. Breakfast is free, which means volunteers will cook their own. For Lunch and Dinner usually, you will cook in 5 pairs, depending on the total amount as well for the cleaning afterward. Remember as you will be spending time with people from different backgrounds/cultures sometimes it will be difficult to adjust to different ways than yours. To prevent or resolve conflicts that may occur in any social interaction, you should maintain an attitude of respect for others, be open-minded and willing to compromise, and know how to work together calmly to resolve conflicts. Understanding different cultures is not only critical, but it also promotes ample coexistence. You will have free time during the camp. We know sometimes we all need time for ourselves. Weekends are free, and it’s usually when we have the excursions. However, when this is not possible the camp leader will still plan activities with the group, it usually involves hiking, planning a picnic, or even going for a swim. 

Before you depart on the last day, all the camp will have a general house cleaning. You will all make sure that you don’t leave any rubbish behind. it is always nice to leave the house cleaner than the way you found it! We recommend packing lunch for your day trip. Make sure you leave your room clean & tidy. Please remember to change your bedsheets. Please make sure you have completed your Evaluation Form. Ask your camp leader for the link. Make sure you have packed all of your belongings! You will be picked up in the afternoon. Arrival in Reykjavik is around 18:00 hrs. Please note that we will drop you off at City Hall or at the BSI bus station.

Volunteers usually wake up at 8 to have breakfast and get ready for work. Work always starts at 9:00 and lasts till 12:00, you have a coffee break before lunch. 

You have a 1 hour lunch break and then continue working till 16:00. After work, you may have some environmental workshops given by the camp leaders or staff members. After dinner, you can organize a movie night or a game night. 

WF Iceland will organize reasonably-priced weekend or one-day excursions to some of the most popular, beautiful areas and natural wonders that Iceland has to offer. Excursions include unique Icelandic sights, such as waterfalls, volcanic and geothermal areas, glaciers, lava forests, hot springs, rhyolite mountain ranges, steam vents, or even icebergs; ● Golden Circle (Included in the camp fee) ● Snaefellsnes Peninsula ● South Coast ● Geldinganes volcano ● And more…. You can check out all the excursion descriptions available for each camp on our website (https://wf.is/excursions/) The area around the house is also great for hiking. Plan ahead, share your travel plans, stay on the trail, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, and do not approach or feed wildlife. You should not go for high or steep mountains without a professional guide.