EVS voluntary work for 6 months in Iceland with the Environment Agency of Iceland (Umhverfisstofnun, UST).

My name is Anna Lefering and I participated in an EVS project with the Environment Agency of Iceland for 6 month in summer 2011. The Agency runs varied programmes for volunteering in nature conservation in Iceland all summed up within Iceland Conservation Volunteers. The EVS programme is the longest one and it consists of very versatile tasks covering topics from practical work outdoors to management and leadership within the organisation. Voluntary work with UST is always based outdoors, which limits the actual work season to summer. Since my EVS lasted from May to October, I got the great opportunity to experience and participate in a whole volunteering season, starting rather quiet, yet excited in the first month, tackling a busy, challenging and rousing summer with lots of volunteer staff to manage, and finally ending with a cosy, almost winter-like month in a small team, finishing off last projects.

Harsh climate and geological conditions result in a very fragile natural environment in Iceland which is easily harmed by heedless people. Next to general anthropogenic effects it's the rising popularity of Iceland as a holiday destination that involves ecological pressure on the environment, arising the need for a sustainable implementation of nature conservation. Our work sites throughout the summer were national parks and other protected areas. Each project unit lasted one to two weeks and consisted of an international team of 5 - 6 people, usually aged between 19 and 30. Our given tasks were aiming to preserve or improve park standards, e.g. repairing and marking hiking trails, building steps from timber or stone, transplanting moss to cover unwanted beaten tracks or dealing with invasive vegetation species. The outcomes of the work carried out are regarded very highly within the park managements, which resulted in a growing request for UST volunteers for protected areas during the last years.

All volunteers lived in tents all summer long, while as communal area there was a mess tent provided. This basic and (in my opinion) very charming accommodation is an essential part of my volunteer experience: camping for several months, living together with a team of former strangers, tackling any type of Icelandic weather, cooking in a mess tent, having just some sanitary block and a visitor centre around while the next village is at least an hour away by car - these adventures are challenging and bring people closer together, they let us learn a lot about social life and how to cope with unexpected situations.

My position as EVS volunteer within UST was to organise and lead these projects. Mainly this meant being a contact person between team members, park rangers and UST itself, leading practical work and giving technical guidance. But it also included dealing with any possible non-work related problems occurring within the team, from caring for food to giving first aid. All these tasks gave me a lot of experience in leadership skills, both on a social and a work level. I was given quite some responsibility, and my opinion and judgement was respected and trusted. I felt that my role within the programme was important and needed, that I could contribute something to the greater aim. The confidence and reliance that people showed towards each other shows both: the necessity and the result of a working programme and great community.

Anna Lefering, Germany