Preservation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thingvellir, Iceland

The volunteers will have the unique opportunity to participate in a new project working at the only UNESCO world heritage site in Iceland that is open to visitors: The national park of Þingvellir - literally "Parliament Plains".

Volunteers will be working in the woodlands of Þingvellir, cleaning up dead branches, thinning where needed, digging up some non-native species, planting birch, making walking paths and possibly doing other projects that are required in the national park and heritage site. The project is located in a place of extreme beauty with countless opportunities to discover nature by foot or hiking.

Project dates: May 5 - May 17, 2013

The UNESCO world heritage site of Þingvellir is a national park and was the location of Iceland's parliament from 930 to 1798. Many of Iceland's biggest moments in history happened in Þingvellir, such as the adoption of Christianity around 1000 AD and the foundation of the modern Republic in 1944.

Þingvellir is also a place of extraordinary beauty and a complex ecological system. The area is part of a fissure zone running through Iceland. Þingvellir is situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The faults and fissures of the area make evident the rifting of the earths' crust. In the last few decades, research has made it clear that Þingvellir is a natural wonder on an international scale, with the geologic history and the biosystem of Lake Þingvallavatn forming a unique entity, a magnificent showcase. Being able to witness the evolution and formation of new species in a place like Lake Þingvallavatn is of immense value.

More info at: www.cadip.org/volunteer-in-iceland.htm