GRÓ LRT fellows on field excursion to North Iceland
Last week, the GRÓ LRT fellows went on a four-day excursion to Northern Iceland where they visited restoration sites and learned about how land conditions have been improved with innovative approaches by individuals, NGOs, as well as national agencies such as the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland.
On the first day of the excursion, the fellows travelled to North Iceland through the Kjölur highland road, while learning about restoration projects surrounding both the south and north end of the Kjölur route. The following days, the fellows visited sites in various conditions in Skagafjörður and around Lake Mývatn where they observed how unsustainable land use and sand encroachment have led to land degradation. Local experts explained how the diverse degradation challenges have been dealt with, sparking lively discussion on the lessons learned from the different restoration projects.
This was the fellows’ second multi-day field excursion this summer, the previous one was in the beginning of July when they travelled through the south and southeast of Iceland. The excursions are an essential part of the GRÓ LRT six-month training, as they connect the classroom lectures to actual restoration- and degradation cases around Iceland. The excursions also give the fellows the opportunity to discuss challenges and successes in land restoration with local people working in different parts of the country, as well as with farmers and other land users.