I am slowly coming to the realisation that Wilderness Management really means Wilderness Destruction. First the trees last week, and now we have turned our attentions to lupin:
It may look very pretty, but this lupin is an invasive species, hailing from Alaska. It was introduced to Iceland on purpose, as it can grow just about anywhere and helps to regenerate soil in damaged areas. However, it can easily spread out of control and threaten native plants, which is what is happening here in Skaftafell National Park. We can't possibly get rid of all of it, so our job is to create a lupin-free 'buffer zone' in the Morsadalur (valley of the Morsa river, which drains the Morsa glacier), with the aim of containing it across on the west bank.
Morsadalur
This week we have been experimenting with different methods of recording the location and extent of the lupin, as well as ways of killing it. Surveying for lupin involves spreading out in a line across 100m and combing the landscape for plants - as though we are searching a crime scene for evidence. We use GPS units to record the location each time we come across one, and note down details such as how many there are, whether they are in flower, and whether they have developed seed pods. Then we pull the little devils out! Slowly but surely, we are building up a picture of the spread of lupin across the buffer zone, which will be plotted on a map and compared with previous and future years. With time, we will be able to see whether our mission to destroy is working...
Today we carried out some interesting tests on the actual removal method itself, working in 10m squared quadrants. We recorded the location of each quadrant by GPS, then set about killing the lupin in different ways: digging up the roots, scything it down, trampling on it, cutting it back in a sheep pen in the hope that they will eat it. Next year's team will no doubt be surveying the results!
The only good lupin is a dead lupin.
Apart from honing our lupin killing instincts, we've had some time to enjoy the national park too. It is set in a beautiful location, nestled between tongues of the great Vatnajokull glacier, the largest ice cap in Europe. The mountains and glacial valleys are beautiful, and there are numerous hiking trails, most of which seem to lead to waterfalls. We have our section of the campsite to ourselves, and even better, we have a section of the park rangers' hut all to ourselves too, including a decent sized kitchen and living room. It feels a bit like Big Brother at times, 11 people who have only just met living in the same house, dividing ourselves into cooking and cleaning teams, going out to do a task every day, composing shopping lists and trying to entertain ourselves in the evenings, but in a good way! The atmosphere within the group is great and we have cooked some pretty amazing meals. Everyone has a great attitude towards the work we are doing and the challenging conditions at times, and I think we are all here for much the same reasons. Just a lovely bunch of people, really!
Finally, I can't talk about Skaftafell without mentioning the ubiquitous ash that fell two weeks ago. It is still very much present - the glacier tongues are soot coloured for a start, and the entire place is covered by what feels like a fine layer of sand. It gets absolutely everywhere and when the wind whips up, which is often, you get a good dusting, including in the eyes! It's been difficult at times, especially down in the valley when we are constantly getting sandblasted, but we are all coping OK. It makes those hot showers at the end of the day so much more satisfying... and who needs fancy exfoliants and scrubs when you have volcanic ash?!
Ash cloud's gonna get ya...
So, one more day together as a group and then the evictions start (only kidding). We will be split up for a while, though. The team is being divided into two, and I am leaving this weekend with Pilar for three weeks of project support work, which can involve anything from packing up food boxes in Reykjavik to driving to project locations and helping new groups to set up camp. I'm excited for the variety but sad to be leaving the team when everything is going so well. I'll be back in July, though. The lupin can run but it can't hide!
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