Revegetation and Landcare

The role of the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) has increasingly been aimed at providing guidance and facilitating participation in landcare and restoration work.

About 600 famers, including 20% of the nation’s sheep farmers, and a number of other land users are participating in the soil conservation work under the theme, “Farmers Heal the Land”.

Numerous organizations and volunteers also participate with the SCSI in co-operative tasks, many of whom are supported through the SCSI‘s Land Improvement Fund.

The Hekluskógar project is an example of an extensive restoration program run in cooperation with the SCSI and the Icelandic Forest Service. The main goal is to restore native birch woodlands in the vicinity of the active volcano Mt. Hekla, in an area that extends over 100 thousand ha. Ever since the project started in 2006, local landowners in the area have been planting birch seedlings provided by the project in their own land.

The “Ecological Restoration School Project“ is a cooperative program which was initiated by the NGO Icelandic Environment Association (Landvernd) in collaboration with the SCSI, aimed at instructing children in elementary school about ecosystem restoration, methods and purpose.

The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland