Trees and Hydropower

Góðan daginn!
Another week has passed! I can’t believe how fast time is traveling! This week was a very eventful week!  Monday was spent in class all day, and on Tuesday we had Icelandic class and workshops in the afternoon.  This week I worked in the community garden picking potatoes for four hours.  It was a long time to sit in the cold and pick potatoes, but we made the most of it and had a good time, and I know we helped out the community a lot in doing so.  On Wednesday morning we left for Hekla Forest for a packed week of learning.  On Wednesday we made our way to the Búrfell Hydropower Station on the Thjórsá River. 

 The station was built in 1967 and has a capacity of 270 MW.  It is one in a series of dams along the river.  I was surprised to learn that this one station produces enough energy for all of Iceland, however most of the energy doesn’t go to the grid.  Only 10% of the energy goes to the grid, and 90% goes to manufacturers elsewhere.  What is even more amazing is that they have enough energy already, however they are planning on building even more plants so that they can ship their energy to Europe through a underwater cable.  Understandably people in Iceland don’t want the plants here because it goes to the manufacturers, but the plant workers argue that if they didn’t use their energy, the manufacturers would go elsewhere and use coal or oil produced energy instead of this green energy.  It is definitely a tricky situation.  Icelanders are hoping to transition to more geothermal and wind power instead of building more hydropower stations. 

Later that day we had the opportunity to visit a Viking longhouse!  The original longhouse was buried in the 1104 eruption of Hekla, but through excavating the original site they have been able to determine what the house looked like and built a replica.  It was beautiful and a very different way from living than what we have today.  They would build fires inside their houses for light and cooking, however the houses had no windows or chimneys so the houses would often become quite smoky.  It was neat to get to see the simplicity of the rooms and way of living.  We then finished our drive to some cabins where we stayed for a few nights.  Our hosts were soooo good to us!  I don’t think we stopped eating while we were there.  They were great!

On Thursday it rained and snowed and there were super strong winds all day, but we worked outside all day!  We learned more about Hekla forest and the work they are doing in the area.  Most of the area is very bare and covered in ash from Hekla.  It is extremely prone to wind erosion, therefore there are no plants in the area although the area used to be forested land.  The Hekla Forest Project is working to reforest these areas with birch and willows, both known pioneer species of Iceland.  From planting trees they can gain permanent protection from the wind, restoration of birch forest, carbon accumulation in forests, improved groundwater status and water protection, and more wildlife and vegetation.  To this day they have planted about 1.8 million trees, and this is a long term project which will last 40-60 years.  In the morning we helped by collecting seeds from birch trees in the area, and in the afternoon our guide took us out and showed us the progression of the land in the area from barren to grass covered to forested.  We then were sent out in the wind and rain to plant our seeds.  I am not sure how effective it was, but our guide insures us that the trees will eventually grow.  The trees aren’t big, but definitely make a difference on the land.

Friday we went to a soil museum to learn more about the soil conservation projects happening in Iceland.  It was a great museum, and we learned more about the Hekla Forest Project and the different types of grasses being used to stabilize the soils, lyme-grass being the primary one.  Iceland’s land in this area is really being transformed and it’s great to see.  We talked to some of our guides about their fears of future eruptions on the area, and they said they aren’t afraid.  They are reestablishing and reforesting such a large area around Mount Hekla, that when it erupts it will only cause damage to a small part of the land which, if the project works as it should, will be resistant to the ash and continue to grow regardless.  It would be great to see the land in years to come as more and more of it continues to be forested. 

We have definitely started talking about some very big and important subjects this week, and I am excited to learn more!  This week we are going to Reykjavik!! While there we are going to have the chance to visit an electric company and talk to a geologist about Iceland!  We also get to go shopping which is always fun! 

Bless bless!!

Icelandic church and some thoughts on religion

On Friday we had the opportunity to meet and talk with the Pastor here at Solheimar, Birgir Thomsen.  He is a really cheerful man, resembles Santa Claus, and is one of those people that you just want to hug and talk to about life.  As well as being the Pastor here at Solheimar, he is also the town technician and is the person to go to with computer or internet problems.  The church here, Solheimakirkja, is seven years old.  Sesselja, the woman who started Solheimar, was very religious and always dreamed of having a church on the property, but never built one.  The board of Solheimar decided to build one despite the fact that most people did not think it was necessary.  People who wanted to go to church would go in a nearby town and did not see the point of building one here.  However, since building the church they have made great use of the space both for church and for the yearly summer art festival.

The church is small, and consists of a front room to hang coats, and a single room where the service takes place.  In the back of the church they have an altar piece that was made here in Solheimar.  It is made out of wool and is very symbolic. It is in the shape of a house and has a sun in the center with rays shining out just as the symbol for Solheimar does.  In the picture there is also five children and one adult female, just as there was when Solheimar just started.  The trees in the piece are ones drawn by Hanny, one of the home people here, with the trunk and branches of the trees showing through the foliage.  It is made out of wool and was completely put together by one of the artists here in Solheimar.  Church in Iceland is also different than what people are used to back home.  In Solheimar they have a church service every other Sunday which is unusual for Iceland.  In most of the country churches have a service only one a month or a few times a year.  Many Pastors will run multiple churches and rotate through them weekly. 

I have attended two church services here so far, and I would like to share my current feelings on religion and how the church here has impacted me.  Before coming to Solheimar I was very close to admitting to myself that God does not exist, but that nature is the true power.  However, since coming here I am not so sure what I feel.  There is a very powerful energy here.  The vastness of the landscape combined with the gentleness and the kindness of the people has comforted me.  It has filled me with a warmth that I don’t find when I am at home or school.  I feel like I really belong here, and despite that I have only been here for two weeks, I feel more welcomed and settled here than I often feel while at school.  When at Hope I feel that I am not good enough, or worthy enough to go to church, like I don’t fit the right crowd, but after going to church here I feel differently.  I see the people in the church here and feel that these people would bring more joy to God than most back home.  Here it is not about giving the most money to a church, or a competition to see who can be more in love with Jesus, or who goes to church the most or is the better Christian, but is about joy and love.  These people give what they can and bring so much love into a room that anyone could feel welcome.  They sing loud and bring invisible dogs and baby dolls to the services, and I absolutely LOVE that.  At home I feel pushed away from church and here I feel so welcomed.  And although the whole service is in another language, I feel closer to “God” at this church than I have at any other church I have been to.  I feel a connectedness and feeling of family that is very humbling to me.  If there is a God out there, this is how he would want his people to be, completely loving, not judgmental like many are back home.  Here I can walk into church in my long underwear and hiking boots, and don’t have to worry about not fitting the crowd of sundresses and bobby-pinned hair.  I don’t have to fit that Hope mold that is so evident when you walk into the chapel or gathering services.  I wish everyone could experience a service at the Solheimar church, because for me it has really changed my perspective on religion.   Regardless of whether I decide that God is for me, or just continue my current trend of loving Mother Nature,  I hope to return home and find a church similar to the one here- where there is more than enough love to go around.  I hope that in this I don’t offend anyone, because that is not my goal.  This is just something that has been bothering me for some time, and I thought now was the proper time to share it.  Bless.

The Important Things in Life

In the past few weeks we have been given the chance to really explore what Mother Nature has to offer us, and this has really let me think about some things.  Some questions and thoughts have been thrown at us during our stay here already, and I would like to share them with you.  During our first week here we were asked to define sustainability in our own terms.  It is very easy to look up a definition of the term and take other people’s words, but to truly define it in our own words takes a lot of thought, and I struggled a bit to put my thoughts into actual explanation.   After sitting down and thinking about it a bit this is what I have come up with:

To be sustainable is to be natural and earth-like.  To not negatively take away from what was or negatively add.  To allow the future to be just as beautiful and healthy if not more than it is today.  To take advantage of but not destroy, and to learn from but not overstep the beauty that the world has to offer and teach us.  TO stay in our proper place, and not act as an invasive species in a place we should not claim as our won.  We have been given a wondrous planet, and we should keep that wonder alive and growing.

 Also while on our backpacking trip there was something that Rosa, one of our guides, said to me that has really stuck with me.  She told me that it is the people from the city, not the people from the country land that become most connected and attached to nature because when they enter it they realize just how much they actually need it.  Nature is such an important part of living.  As humans we instinctually feel at home and protected in nature.  It is so important to grow up with nature and know what it feels like to experience and see the colors and feel the energy of land untouched by industry and human destruction.  It is important to feel one with Mother Nature and appreciate all she has to give us.  I think when you nourish the land and let it be your home it shows in who you are.  The Icelandic people are so full of life and energy just as the land that they live on is.  It is important to let nature become a part of us otherwise we will become too wrapped up in the little things and the corporate side of life instead of seeing the large astounding beauty that lies all around us.

Those are my thoughts on things at the moment.  Tomorrow we start in the workshops which will be very exciting!! I will write again soon!  Bless!

An Icelandic Adventure

This past week I was physically and mentally challenged in a way that I have not experienced before.  We backpacked across Southern Iceland from the town of Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork, in all walking over 60 kilometers.  It was a breathtaking experience, and I am going to try my best to portray the beautiful landscapes, mental and physical challenges, and the accomplishment in words for you. 

Day 1:
We left Solheimar fairly early in the morning for a two hour drive to Landmannalaugar.  The transformation of landscape was absolutely astounding!  Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me on the bus so the pictures of the landscape remain in my mind.  We transitioned from the hills and fields that we have become accustomed to into gravel roads and barren landscapes.  Then the flat barren land became rockier and rockier.  People had told me that parts of Iceland look just like the moon, but I had never really believed them completely.  However, on Tuesday I saw the moon.  It was such an alien environment and unlike anything I have ever witnessed before while traveling.  Miles and miles of ash and rock.  It was unbelievable.  Then, after the roughest bus ride on gravel roads ever, we arrived in Landmannalaugar.  It was much colder there than in Solheimar, and we had an hour to wander around.  Some of us went to visit a thermal bath that you could swim in.  I chose not to go in, but it was very cool to see.  We also visited the Mountain Mall!  This was two buses side by side in which you could buy some food items, extra hats and mittens, postcards, and other hiking necessities.  We then had a great lunch of cream of mushroom soup, made some pb&j sandwiches, and headed on our way towards the first hut.  The first day we climbed about 400 meters in elevation, and it was very cold and extremely windy.  We packed tea and sandwiches for snacks along the way which was great, because tea tasted much better than water while hiking.  It was so cold that the water in my water bottles turned into a slushy ice over the course of 5 or so hours.  The landscape was of course beautiful, and we had a chance to see many thermal vents in the mountain side.   We finally made it to our hut for the night which had no running water, but was warm and protected us from the wind.  We had some Icelandic doughnuts and a warm dinner and called it a night.

Day 2:

I started the day by getting some water for our group.  To do so I had to climb down a snowy mountainside to a pipe where we could collect drinkable water.  Then after our morning porridge and cleaning we were on our way.  We had beautiful weather on day two! We took a detour and ended up hiking about 16 km instead of the marked 12.  As part of the detour we got to visit an ice cave.  The layers in the ice were so pretty, and walking inside was like a whole new world.  It was gorgeous. The most challenging part of day two was our mountain climb.  Our guides decided  that if the glacier was snowy enough that we would climb to the top of a nearby mountain to see the view.  Luckily for us there was enough snow on the glacier from the storm that occurred over the previous few days.  It was very cool having the chance to walk along the glacier, and also frightening.  We had to put complete faith in our guides that they would take us on a path where the ice was stable to walk on.  I am very blessed that I had the opportunity to do this.  Once we made it to the other side we climbed to the top.  The climb was hard and steep, but the view was absolutely astounding!  From the top you could see the five largest glaciers in Iceland.  It was so beautiful.  We did not stay at the top for long because it was cold and windy and we had to continue on with our hike.  On the way down we got to see a spot in the glacier where it was caving in on itself due to the thermal vents underneath.  It really summed up Iceland for me because I got to see the battle between fire and ice that is occurring on this island.  After a long hike down a hillside we made it to hut 2.  This hut was very nice, however it was lit off of solar power, and due to low energy we did not get to turn the lights on until late at night.  Our guide, Pauli, told us ghost stories about the land we were on, and we headed off to bed.

Day 3:

Day three was very wet, however the scenery was still gorgeous.  The terrain changed yet again, and we traveled through areas with dark, dark soil and bright, bright green moss covered mountains.  The contrast in colors was stunning.  We did a bit of a detour this day to avoid an extra river crossing, although we still had to cross one.  This river was wide and at the deepest up to right above the knee.  It was not too hard to cross, but the water was icy cold, and by the time we got to the other side we could not feel our feet.  It was a character building experience!  At one point we stopped at an old hut that is now locked.  Pauli told us the ghost story that is the reason why it is now locked.  On day three we also learned all about elves, trolls, and water horses.  It was a magical day in more than one way!  When we arrived at our hut we were all very happy.  It was very cozy and the view was great.  We could see a nearby glacier, and got to see the weather change due to the temperature changes over the glacier.  It was very cool to see.

Day 4:

Our final day!  We left bright and early on the last 16 km of our trip.  The morning was a little slow moving, but after lunch we walked right into the middle of some farmers out herding sheep out of the mountains.  It was very cool to see the farmers and the dogs try to round up the sheep.  Some of the dogs ran over to us and we got to pet them.  It was great!  It was also very interesting to be with Pauli at that time because he writes articles about environmental protection and was taking pictures of the event.  He was not happy to have them there, because it was the first time sheep had been allowed on that land, and it was not good grazing land for sheep.  Also the farmers promised to not put more than 20 sheep on the land, and there were easily more than 40 there.  It was neat to hear about the struggles from an Icelanders point of view and inspirational to see him standing up for what he believes is right for the land.  After another river crossing we got to walk through an Icelandic forest!  There are very few trees in Iceland, so to have that opportunity was very cool.  The trees were beautiful, and the views from the tops of the mountains were breathtaking.  It was a great way to end our hike!  Once we arrived at the final hut we went to go cross a river to get to our bus, however the river was too high and strong to cross on foot, so our bus crossed to come get us.  We followed a tractor back across the river to make sure we got across safely.  It was very ironic though because we had heard multiple horror stories of people trying to cross the rivers in the areas in cars and having their cars swept away and in one case someone died.  It was a bit scary knowing that we were about to try to cross in our bus, and we did get stuck in one area, but the tractor tied a rope to us and pulled us the rest of the way across.  When we got to the other side we looked back and saw a large rainbow over the landscape, and it was a great way to see the land that we had just spent days hiking across.  It was an unbelievable experience.  On the way home we stopped and ate pizza!  It was a lot of fun!

 

The trip was great and I hope to get the chance to hike it again in the future!  This weekend has been pretty relaxed.  This morning was very exciting because we went to a sheep herding event.  At this event they put all of the sheep that they had herded into a pen, and we had to sort them into the pens of the farmers to whom they belonged.  People from all over were there and it was very exciting.  After a few minutes in the pen we learned the technique to gathering the sheep.  To get them you have to grab them by the horns or fur on their back if they have no horns, and get them with their neck in between your legs so they settle down.  Then you could look at their tag and see if they belong to the farm you are looking for.  I was able to find one sheep that belonged to the correct farm!  When you find the right one you keep hold of the sheep’s horns and keep it in between your legs and walk it over to the entrance to the pen.  It was a bit of a struggle because there were sheep everywhere, and they did not want to be held onto, but it was great fun!  Everyone should have the experience of sheep herding in my opinion!  This week to come holds a lot of classes and an open house at the end of the week for the Solheimar community to come to Brekkukot where we live and meet all of us.  It should be a great week!  Bless bless!

Week One!

Halló!
It has been a very eventful couple of days!  I am going to try to cover as much as I can, but there is so much to talk about!  I suppose I will start with where I left off.

Friday

On Friday we attended our first morning meeting.  At 9 o’clock every morning all of the Solheimar community gathers together.  We start by coming together in a circle holding hands in a few minutes of silence.  Once the church bells ring all 9 chimes we lift our hands and say together “Góðan daginn” (Go-dan dyan) meaning good morning.  Then the community announces the date and any important news for the day and announces what will be served for lunch.  Finally we all take hands once more and everyone sings a song.  The whole ceremony is in Icelandic, so once finished our group stays and Axel, who is in charge of the building we have class in, comes and explains to us what was said during the meeting.  The song sung is also in Icelandic so we have not yet learned the words, but we will soon be able to sing along!  Later in the day we had class out in a field near a nearby river.  As a group we went out and discussed the importance of being one with nature and having time to sit with nature without the distraction of a camera, watch, or other man-made items.  We then had “solos” where we found a comfortable spot in the field away from others and had the chance to rest, think, sleep, or just enjoy the beauty surrounding us.  It was great to feel like I belonged to something so complex.  While sitting in the grass I watched as a small snail slowly worked its way up my water bottle, sinking into his shell every time the wind would blow, and observed as a lone goose flew overhead singing as if he had lost his group.  It was a very peaceful and moving class period. 

Saturday

Early Saturday morning our instructors took us out to pick blueberries.  This was a great experience and quite funny to me.  Since I spent all summer working in blueberry bushes it was humorous to see the Icelandic blueberries.  These don’t really qualify as bushes, but are more like a ground plant or moss that travels right on the ground of the earth.  The berries were a little sour and also chilled as if taken right out of the fridge because it is so cold outside!  We also got to try crowberries, which are similar to blueberries but a little darker in color and have a slightly different texture and taste.  They were very good though!  Later that day we went to climb Mount Hestur, a nearby mountain. 

 It was a very steep climb and very challenging at times, but the view from the top was probably the most beautiful view I have ever seen.  You could see all of the rivers and nearby mountains.

Off in the distance you could see Mount Hekla, an active volcano due to erupt in the next few years, and glaciers.  It was amazing to be there and see those sights, and to be blessed with such great weather.  We then were given solo time at the top where I found a nice seat in the moss on the side of the mountain and looked out on the river and Solheimar.  It was gorgeous!  At the end of the day we watched a documentary called “Taking Root.”  It was about Wangari Maathai, an activist who started the green belt movement in Kenya.  She grew up watching her country be deforested and destroyed and decided to start planting trees.  It started as something she did within her country, and quickly grew larger and more political.  It was moving watching her struggles, fights, and achievements, and gives me hope for a more sustainable world.

Sunday

Sunday was a very relaxed day.  After lunch I went to a church service!  Solheimar has church every other Sunday at 2 pm.  The whole service was in Icelandic, but it was so interesting to hear the different songs that were familiar to me sung in a different language.  At one point the home people (the community members that have varying disabilities) went up and sang “Deep and Wide” and “This is the Day that the Lord Has Made.”  It was a lot of fun because we couldn’t sing along with the words, but we followed their hand motions and were able to participate with them.  After church some friends and I went out with a volunteer from Germany, Suzanne, and picked some blueberries and walked along the top of a mountain to see an aerial view of the village.  It was very cool to see.

Monday

Today was our first day of official class!  We started off the day with a morning meeting.  Today’s morning meeting took place inside because we were having severe wind and some snow due to a hurricane.  After morning meeting we had our first Icelandic language class!  We learned some basic phrases and the alphabet.  This language is very tricky!  We all got a good laugh out of it.  That lasted for three hours until lunch, and then after lunch we watched a movie all about the geology of Iceland.  It was a very fascinating movie and I learned so much that I had not known before.  For example, the Mid-Atlantic Rift goes through the middle of Iceland, and therefore Iceland is growing at the rate of 1 inch per year.  Also Iceland was originally formed by lava erupting from the ocean, but was later carved by an ice sheet which extended over the island and later retreated.  This is how all the fjords were formed in the northern part of the island.  There is much more that I could share, but then this post would be way too long!

In the next coming days we will be traveling on a four day backpacking trip from the city of Landmannalaugar to the city of Porsmork.  The first day is a 7.5 mile hike in which we climb 400 feet in elevation.  The next three days are flatter, and we hike another 7.5 mile day then two 9 mile days.  Technically this is a European style hiking trip, so a trailer will take our sleeping bags and extra supplies from site to site while we just carry a day pack, and each night we will sleep in a hut with bunk beds and even heat in the first one!  This is nice though, because if we were traditionally hiking we would have no source of heat since there are no trees on Iceland to make a fire.  It will be a different experience, and if the weather is like it was today, it could be very cold and wet as well.  However the scenery will be so beautiful that we probably will be so distracted that it won’t be as bad.  I will post again when I am back with pictures and plenty of stories I am sure!

Bless bless!!!

Hello from Iceland!

We arrived this morning at 6:30am Iceland time (2:30am back home) to the most gorgeous country ever. The flight was 5 hours and I got some sleep, however today has been rough. When we got to the airport we had to wait to get our vans so I went to a cafe and ate some Icelandic yogurt with granola which was very tasty. Once we got our vans we piled all of our luggage into the back and started the drive to Solheimar!

Our vans look like cubes and its really cute.  Once we got our vans we piled all of our luggage into the back and started the drive to Solheimar!  It was about an hour and a half drive from the airport to Solheimar, and it was absolutely beautiful!

This is near Reykjavik.  It was so pretty to drive through the mountains!  The grass here is so green that it looks like a movie set and not real.  I still can't stop looking outside!

Luckily we arrived on a sunny day so everything was extra pretty!  Once we arrived in Solheimar we were given breakfast of yogurt, fruit, granola, juice, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese.  It was so good! We also got room assignments and got to look around our house area which is beautiful by the way! I am in the only triple room... its going to be a party!  Also the view out my window is mountains and some of the Solheimar village!  I can't believe I get to wake up to this every morning!!  We then got a tour of our classroom building:

It is called Sesseljuhús and is named after Sesselja (like Cecilia) who founded Solheimar.  It has a living roof and is a very environmentally unique building.  We also got a tour of the rest of the community and had the chance to meet a lot of the members of Solheimar.  Tomorrow we learn a little more about our classes which will be very exciting!  I will post more once more exciting things happen! Bless!

Hello everybody!!!

As most people who are reading this know, I will be traveling to Iceland for the semester!

I leave tomorrow (September 5) from Columbia, SC and will stop in both Washington D.C. and Boston before boarding a plane to the Keflavik International Airport. I will be studying in Solheimar which is a small Ecovillage of about 100 people.  Solheimar consists of people both with and without special needs, all of which contribute to help the community.  There are six main workshops in Solheimar: candle-making, weaving, organic soap-making, art, ceramics and woodwork, along with cafes, greenhouses and nurseries which all help keep the community sustainable and self-sufficient.  Solheimar is about an hour east of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

While abroad I will be learning about sustainability, renewable energy, service learning, climate change, and icelandic culture and language.  I am very excited to join this special community and learn hands on about such important topics, especially in such a environmentally unique country!  If you are interested in reading more about Solheimar I encourage you to visit their website: http://solheimar.hlutverk.is/page.asp?Id=834.  I will post again once I arrive! Bless!

-Margie :)