Do you know what is surprising about the lack of trees in Iceland? Amazing views! But the benefits of having trees are even greater. Trees are often called lungs of the planet. During the process of photosynthesis, they take in carbon dioxide and create oxygen, reduce erosion and water runoff and provide a shelter for many animal species as well as food for them. Icelandic Forestry Association (Skógræktarfélag Íslands) and their volunteers help to make Iceland greener every summer by planting thousands of trees in different areas around the country.

The pandemic situation which caused trouble all over the world had changed the plans for the association and volunteers, who were supposed to arrive in Iceland, staying over summer months. Small trees needed to be planted even though nobody could come to the country.

In Icelandic Mountain Guides we feel the responsibility for minimizing the environmental impact while operating tours. Our philosophy is to leave no trace when we travel. We are trying to present this idea to our clients, educate them about global warming issues and explain the impact of these nature changes to our everyday lives. We are all aware of the carbon footprint therefore we decided to decrease it by planting trees near Reykjavík under the famous mountain Esja. This became tradition for our staff members in spring and fall every year.

When we heard that the Icelandic Forestry Association is in high need for volunteers we decided to step in and help them out with planting trees. Crisis also hit our company and changed our operations. Many of our staff members could not do their guiding or organizing tasks with no tourists around but we still wanted to do meaningful work. As we all relish to be outside we found this new mission very enjoyable.

We also realized that this might be a great example for other people around and abroad how they can use their free and spare time and help the local projects and communities with their volunteering.

Project manager and supervisor for volunteers Einar Örn Jónsson is a dedicated person who knows the importance of forestation in Iceland and explained to us all the details of new plants and the planting process. He really cares about all the trees to be planted correctly so they can thrive well. He gave us an insight into the future planning for the forest and let us be creative in accordance with the right technique, choosing trees that are appropriate for the certain environment and soil.   

Our first task was tree planting around a beautiful area, an hour away from Reykjavík around the lake Úlfljótsvatn. The Forestry association owns a house with a charming view of the church and mountain Búrfell. We had the option to stay there overnight which many of us decided to do so. It was such a great retreat from the city!

After we became familiar with the correct planting process and fertilization, we started looking for the right spots for our small trees. The area was suitable for coniferous trees such as pines, sprouts and firs. We learned how to look at the landscape, considering the future forest which will grow there in 15 - 20 years, not only from the point of view of the forestation but also people who will come here and relax.

One of the very interesting insights we gained from Einar was not only to plant trees on every piece of land but to also create some areas for clearings on the top of the hills or in between the woods, so people can enjoy that feeling of freedom that we all love here in Iceland.  

Some of the other days spent volunteering were in a wooded area near one of the most popular waterfalls in South of Iceland, Skógafoss. Icelandic winters can be unforgiving, with this winter no exception. Many trees were damaged and were blocking the walking paths many love to enjoy.  Our group all pitched in to improve the site, whilst keeping all the fallen trees in the forest, keeping the area as natural and unspoiled as possible.

Hard times that we are all experiencing can be challenging, especially trying to keep our daily routines. The experiences from tree planting and volunteering was a fulfilling event for those of us who participated, which we plan to continue throughout the rest of summer. Working together as a team and looking at our work gave us all a feeling of satisfaction and a small glimpse of curiosity, as we are all looking forward to coming back in many years to come, walking in the new Icelandic forest we helped to plant.