So, why is it you're going to Iceland again...?

It's not every day that you announce that you are quitting a perfectly good job to go and live in a tent in Iceland for three months. So I thought a good way to kick this blog off would be to explain the method to my madness!

I had originally planned to spend this summer in Montreal, mostly sunning myself in pavement cafés, practicing my québécois and perhaps taking a few evening courses in preparation for starting a Masters in September. Unfortunately though, the visa gods had other ideas. I was ready to move on from my office job and so I began researching a Plan B. Ideally, this plan would involve some travel to areas of outstanding natural beauty, where I could indulge my passion for running around in the mountains.

I started by looking through bookmarks saved on my computer (probably from a dull grey weekend in February) and came across the website for Iceland Conservation Volunteers: http://english.ust.is/of-interest/ConservationVolunteers/ I remembered saving this last summer when I was thinking of doing a two-week 'voluntourism' holiday. Then I noticed that they also offer longer term projects from May to August. Interesting!

According the ICV website, their 'Wilderness Management' programme involves travelling all over Iceland to collect and analyse data, mostly on invasive plant species, to help conserve the country's fragile environment. Volunteers also carry out various practical tasks, such as building and repairing hiking trails, and installing signposts and viewing platforms near the many natural tourist attractions. Given that I am hoping to pursue a career in environmental management, this sounded to me like the perfect way to gain experience in the field and explore a stunning country while I'm at it.

The more I read about Iceland, the more I am convinced that I have made the right decision. For a start, it is described as a 'geographer's paradise,' the stuff of school textbooks the world over. Iceland is, in essence, one big volcano, sitting on the Mid-Atlantic ridge and straddling both the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, which continue to pull apart by around 2.5cm per year. As they separate, magma from the earth's mantle is forced to the surface and eventually cools to form a new land mass. This process is still very much ongoing, and the island of Surtsey off the south coast of Iceland was formed from a volcanic eruption under the sea as recently as the 1960s.

All of this volcanic activity, coupled with Iceland's location just below the Arctic Circle, has resulted in a dramatic landscape: countless fjords carved out during the Ice Age, geysers and hot springs, lava fields and deserts, mountains and glaciers. It also happens to be one of the cleanest countries in the world: the vast majority of Iceland's energy comes from hydroelectric and geothermal sources, so much so that the Kyoto Protocol has actually allowed them to increase their emissions by 10%!

Finally, I love to travel; nothing makes me feel more stimulated and alive. I believe that we should all take the opportunity to see as much of this beautiful planet as we can during our lifetimes, but without ruining it for both future generations and the other flora and fauna we share it with. This is why sustainable tourism is so important, and I can't wait to play my part in the Environment Agency's work over the summer. I know I will learn so much.

I hope to be able to share my experiences with you all too, although internet access may be somewhat sporadic! Wish me luck as I head off into the land of fire and ice....