Hekla Poem

Autumn Harvest-A group effort

The rhythm of my plucking fingers comes in line with the heartbeat of the earth

Eyes scanning the fragile branches as the cold bites at my hands

My sight turns inward, contemplating this lace and our purpose here today

I wonder at my relevance in this space—if I am noticed by the silent birch and tiny seeds, a visitor in quiet harvest

While I try to help the birch to grow and thrive, it seems that it doesn’t really need me and will stoically survive

Oh thy sheep please lessen your numbers on the land if your human counterparts won’t do it for you

The precious little moments found in the forest transports myself and hopefully others to a world unknown and mysterious

The sense of solitude brings one self closer to the meaning of nature and to what it means to connect with nature

The peeling, sloughing birch bark could take the place of my own skin

With fingers speckled in brown, my movements become second nature and I find my bag filling without realizing it

I felt each nob of the branch, each slowly dying leaf, each catkin softly crumbling between my fingers—I was part of nature

Bringing forests to barren landscape in the land of fire and ice

Reconnecting with Nature

The time spent outdoors here in a month is probably more than I have in the past year. And even in the times that I spend outdoors back at home is not as much for enjoyment as it is to get from point A to point B. My excuse is having to work in studio all the time. Yet after being constantly immersed in nature here, I find myself thinking I was silly for even avoiding it because some of my fond, but rare, memories back home are spent outdoors. And here in Iceland, that part of me is emerging again and cannot wait to share experiences and make new memories with those back home.

One of our first activities was this: Find a place in the field. Sit there for thirty minutes. Think and do whatever you would like. At first, I did not know what I was going to do with my time. But I realized that my breathing suddenly became in sync with the sporadic gusts of wind, focusing on that for a while. And then I stuck my face in the high grass and looked down into a gap, creating an imaginary world. Began thinking about how to be able to do this in New York City. And about how it would be cool to find some secret getaways. 

The Hekla forest seed picking was a more active use of time in nature. Collecting the seeds off birch trees was both meditative and focused; It was a laid back activity but my mind was telling me to get every single seed I could find. Maybe that brought out the OCD tendencies in me. When we gathered all the seeds into one large bag that weighed 10 kilos after just one day, it was rather rewarding to see what a group can do in a short amount of time. 

During one of our free blocks during the day, I went and sat by myself outside by a pile of rocks and began to draw my surroundings. It was the first time that I had drawn since being in Solheimar and could have sat out there for hours. It reminded me to take time out of my day to do things for myself, and not for the sake of the classroom. Since then, I have been doing a lot of blind contours and was able to share it with some of my peers here. 

Seeing the northern lights for the first time took my breath away. It must have been the first week we were here. I do not know exactly how the phenomenon works, except that it involves the magnetic fields and the bouncing of particles. But it is a rare sighting that became a reality for me, rather than watching a time lapse youtube video before coming here. Just goes to say that nature can amaze in unexpected ways and wherever you go, there will be something waiting to be discovered.

-tracey

Simplicity

Simplicity is a word I have always tried to live up to and I see it as a key defining factor of how I picture my life to be in the future.  I fully believe in the importance of buying fewer quality items rather than continually accruing new items, growing what food you can when possible, being mindful, and caring for the individuals and places you surround yourself with.  However, this seems to be common sense to me-actions that naturally make for a more fulfilling life.  We watched a brief video from some "news" program ( I quote "news" because I see most programs of that nature as well as many news programs as utter garbage-changes to Facebook and celebrities lives is not news) where someone interviewed an urban farmer, and it made me angry to see the angle of this program and how this family was portrayed.  The word "frugal" was used a nearly obscene number of times and the innovative ways this family has chosen to live was treated as something novel, something quirky and nearly anti-social, something done only as a way of saving money.  I disliked the angle, but was inspired by this family who has been able to create an almost rural way of life in a suburban/urban setting.  Now how does this relate to simplicity?  Providing for oneself, one´s family, and if possible, community is one of the most simplistic actions that can be undertaken.  This doesn´t mean easy necessarily, but simple in that it´s common sense to learn, understand, act on, and teach others how to care for oneself.

Part of this (sometimes) inner struggle towards simplicity is this feeling that things "should" be a certain way, a feeling summed up quite well by Shannon Hayes in the article Homemade Prosperity.  I had heard of Shannon through some blurb on the Yes! magazine website so it was good to have the opportunity read some of her work for class.  She talked of this inner war where she knew she wouldn´t be happy with a job she had worked towards for years-she even knew what she wanted to do but felt she needed to earn a paycheck to survive.  I´ve had this same thought many times and it´s tough because the idea of earning a paycheck-working for someone else, and worst of all having a job I won´t enjoy goes against my ideal of simplicity.  I strongly feel life doesn´t have to be that way regardless of who or what says otherwise-no one can tell me what I can or cannot do-especially to be happy.  I believe the first step is financial independence, and from there, there´s no limit.  Now I don´t mean being rich, I mean not owing any business anything-from there it´s totally possible to live as richly, as simply as you choose-even if it´s not in the traditional sense. 

-Sarah McKenney 

A Tuesday Workshop

Another Tuesday workshop today, this time in the ceramics studio working alongside Dusty. Amid a cloud of clay dust, we sanded down fist to melon sized figurines. Most were the white birds that are sold in Vala, varying sizes, and a few other animal or creature figures as well. After sanding down about 15 or so, till they were soft and smooth, we got to paint a few. White glaze for the body, adding black lines and dots for the tail feathers and eyes. We did not however get to do the final step, which is the orange glaze for the beak. Two even coats of white, careful to leave the beak glaze free, then scrape the excess white from the divots on the tail and carefully apply narrow lines of black. Voila! an almost completed bird figurine.

            I have appreciated each of my workshop experiences so far, in that I have the opportunity to get to know another member from the group on an individual level, and also that we can integrate into the Sólheimar community in a different way. Often times it is still from somewhat of an observer perspective, for me this feels more like being the child at dinner with your parents and their friends. I am able to sit and be a part of what is going on, though I may not understand it, and learn by simply being there watching listening and feeling. However, the opportunity to actively engage with the home people and other Sólheimar community members during workshop has been hugely exciting and fun for me as well. I enjoy laughing with people when they try to say something to me and laugh because I don't understand (though I suspect there is a joke there perhaps at my expense, I still think it's funny), and when people have wanted to share with me, pointing at things and telling me what they are called, or showing me a better way to do something.

            To return to today's experience, in the ceramics studio Dusty and I were apart from the rest of the people in the workshop – at our own table we sanded. Others were across the room, carefully glazing sculptures with what will become bright colors. This definitely elicited a feeling of being outside, and perhaps that glazing looked more fun, but I still enjoyed it. Our quiet private table allowed for the ebb and flow of silent reflection and conversation. I could listen to conversation in Icelandic, and smile as those painting on glaze silently worked in heavy concentration. I appreciated too my small part. I felt productive sanding little birds, knowing my small act was a necessary step in the process. In that way I felt a part of the community, all producing these pieces or artwork together, each task requiring someone's attention.

Laura

Hiking in the rain and wind

                So back from September 16^th to Sptember 19^th we went on a hiking trip from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk. This trip was a fantastic experience, because it really let us see into the soul of Iceland both on a physical and cultural aspect. Physically, we got to see the mountains and geography that define Iceland. While Solheimar is both beautiful and very different from what I’m used to, it could be many places in the world, but as we hiked away from the drop off point there was only one place in the world that we could have been, Iceland.

 This is because all of Iceland’s distinct and incredible geology and plant life become super apparent when in that area. This leads into the second point, looking into Iceland’s soul as an independent and rugged people. During our hike we got to spend time in this rugged and spectacular environment which gives you a clue that if you had to survive and raise sheep in a climate like that you would need to be really intense.  Additionally because we got to hang out with Palli and Rosa and got to know two Icelanders and really experience how they think about everything from the environment to the government

 . This was an extraordinarily valuable experience to me and I hope but don’t expect to get another experience like it before we leave Iceland. Additionally both getting to see the natural beauty of the area and the danger it’s in from different risks made me feel more connected with Iceland in a way that I had felt was missing before the trip, and also made me want to work to reduce emissions and work toward climate change and land management issues that much more.

             Dusty

Landmannalaugar - Þórsmörk Hike

19 September 2011 – At the beginning of the 4-day hike from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, I thought I was going to be miserable throughout the entire trip. After finding out that my raincoat literally absorbed water rather than repel it only 5 minutes after stepping off the bus, I probably started with too negative an attitude to really appreciate some of the wonderful rock formations and unique geological features that we saw on the first day after leaving the cozy hut where we ate lunch.

            But as soon as we arrived at the first hut that night and hung up essentially everything we were wearing on the radiators, hot water pipes along the ceiling, and bedposts, I was already in a better mood. The second day was infinitely better than the first, the third was better yet, and the fourth was the icing on the cake. Walking through scenery that looks like something out of Lord of the Rings was really an amazing experience. With minimal rain after the first day but temperatures low enough to keep our layers on, we enjoyed an extremely comfortable but still challenging scramble to Þórsmörk. The entire trip was full of pleasant surprises that only added to my pure enjoyment of being in the middle of Iceland’s remote highlands. From the waterfalls to the canyons to the labyrinth to the rainbows and of course all the delicious treats and strong coffee that Palli and Rosa never failed to forget, I found myself saying, ‘How cool is this?’ practically every five minutes. And of course, walking on a glacier, through ice tunnels, and around a haunted lake are memories that I am certain will stay engraved in my mind.

            At the end of each day, I greeted my warm, full, and tired body with a cozy sleeping bag in a room full of unbelievable people laughing at some last joke before we turned off the lights. But I really started to think deeper about the intention of the trip when we walked silently through the birch forest for the last hour of the hike. Up until then, the walk consisted of appreciating the incredible views and enjoying each other’s company while snacking on peanut butter and rhubarb jelly sandwiches. But while I slowly followed Christina through the winding path through the birch trees and down the hill to our final destination with Eyafjallajökull looming over us like some kind of glacial guardian, I realized that this hike represented the end of summer and the start of fall. Because green mossy hills and grassy fields surrounded Solheimar, walking through the birch forest was the first time I saw yellow, orange, and red leaves since being in Iceland. And for me, and probably lots of people, the changing of the leaves is the most significant indicator that fall has officially started. So after a few minutes of giggling and waving and picture taking during the final silent hour, it began to sink in that the first phase of this semester is over. The first two weeks of learning the ropes and adjusting to a new country are complete and all the projects and assignments, which have already started, are quickly approaching their first round of due dates. So in a way, ending this hike, which for the most part was a fun recreational activity, represents the start of the more determined aspect of CELL and the larger importance of our presence to the Solheimar community. 

Lily Alverson

The Trip of a Lifetime: Sept. 20, 2011

We returned last night, safe and sound, from a four day backpacking trip in Southern Iceland on the country's most popular hiking trail. The trail is about 31 miles long and runs north to south from Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork.

We left Friday morning and headed east to the start point. Our wonderful Icelandic guides, Pauli and Rosa, met us at Solheimar and quickly built a great report with us: hospitality, knowledge, confidence, compassion, and great food. It was nice to see a new part of Iceland, though Solheimar is beautiful itself. Along the way, we ran into the annual sheep roundup in this region of Iceland. Sheep spend their summers grazing in the mountains and are rounded up before the winter. Farmers from all around the area are required to help out. Some were on foot, some on horses. Border collies were all around, keeping the sheep in line. We drove at about 3 mph for a good 20 minutes as thousands of sheep ran by.

The first day of hiking was difficult. It had begun to rain and it was already near 2pm by the time we got on trail. We climbed over 400 meters in elevation Friday afternoon, facing more wind and rain with each step uphill. The weather, combined with the realization that I was not in as good of shape as I had thought, made for a very pessimistic Elise. I spent the hours thinking of excuses to skip out on the next 3 days of the trip; I thought there was no way I could face more of this harsh landscape and physical challenge. We reached the hut and it was a sight for sore eyes! The hut was heated and full of cozy bunk beds, stoves for coffee, and geothermal pipes to dry wet socks on. 

The "Super-Jeep" that transported our food and luggage from hut to hut

Day two, we woke up to strong winds at our elevation of 1012 meters. This made for difficult hiking, especially along ridges. Wind rushing over the mountains came down like a tunnel, making it hard to move forward. This day was much improved from the first though. We climbed on a glacier, saw some hot ponds, and got a terrific view of the mountain lake Alftavatn where our second cabin was located. The sun peaked out throughout the day and put a big smile on my face. The hut we stayed at here was much newer and very fun. Instead of bunk beds, all the beds were right next to each other (no space), which made for a very silly sleepover.

 Sunset from our room at the second hut

Day three.... I close my eyes and sing "Arabian Nights" to myself. This day was mostly flat, but the majority of the hiking was over the sand flats near the glacier Myrdalsjokull. The winds were a sustained 20 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. I'd be talking with someone, then all the kneeling on the sand because of a big gust, then jump back up and ask "Can you say that once more?". Conversations weren't very deep that day. We reached that third hut in Emstrur by 2pm, so we took a little side trip to a nearby canyon. I didn't stray too close to the edge, but definitely got an appreciation for the immensity of it from a safe distance. That evening in the hut was lots of fun. After playing several rounds of Spoons (the card game), the had a hearty dinner of tortellini and heard Icelandic ghost stories well into the evening. Needless to say, I had a hard time going to sleep that night with the wind howling and ghosts on  my mind.


Day four was spectacular. The sun shone on and off all day, often mixed with rain. We saw about five different rainbows yesterday, each one brighter than the last. The hike was so enjoyable and the scenery was incredible. About an hour from the end, we crossed a small river. The water was cold but so refreshing. We walked the final kilometer in an Icelandic birch forest, right in the foothills of the volcano/glacier Eyjafjallajökull. I didn't realize how much I missed the fall colors of Wisconsin until we walked through this forest. After being surrounded by ice, stone, and moss for days, it was so healing to be among trees again. We also hiked this last part silently, to give us a chance to appreciate and fully experience this land around us once more.

Birch forest

The bus picked us up at Thorsmork, and the fearless driver drove confidently over many a river on the way out. We stopped for pizza and soda on the way "home" to refuel on grease and sugar. It was sooo good. My first shower and soak in the hot tub were great and it's nice to be back. I don't feel like I can fully explain all that happened on the trip. It was beautiful, challenging, gratifying, and renewing. I was pushed further than I thought I could go, and am proud of myself for completing the trip. The land was gorgeous beyond belief: mountains of every shape and color, glaciers with their own climates. I gained muscle, confidence, and humility. I experienced just a small part of what Iceland has to give and I will never forget this trip. That is all.

-Elise 

One Seed at a Time

Hekla Reforestation Project Photo Essay - 30 September 2011

The simplicity of color, shape, and texture I encountered in the birch forest provided the perfect environment for reflection on my role in communities—our CELL community, Sólheimar, and our community as inhabitants of Planet Earth.

An interesting paradox occurred when I looked not at the forest itself, but upwards and outwards from within the forest: I felt like a more intrinsic part of the ecosystem.  Seeing the golden yellow leaves and dark grey branches of the trees against a pure blue sky gave me an immense feeling of inner peace.  As my fingers met seed after seed, I realized that the work we were doing would allow future generations—of Icelanders and of the entire world—to look out and up at the intricate lace created by the birches.

The shape of the seed cones spoke to me of the powerful journey each seed will experience.  Like little ecological space ships, they will bear a multitude of seeds to settle new lands.  Not all will be successful; some seeds won’t germinate, and some seedlings will be pushed up by the frost, but with our help the birch forests will thrive.  In a way, the CELL Dozen are our own seed cone: transplanted from our lives in the States, we have been placed into a complex system of feedbacks with our new Icelandic landscape.  We learn from and are fed by those who give us shelter—the canteen, our friends in Sesseljuhús, Rosie, our farmhouse hosts.  In return for their nurturing encouragement, we will sprout new ideas, new energy, and new enthusiasm for improving our joint environment.

Each individual seed lends its own unique strength and flexibility to give our harvest a distinct texture.  Each seed holds the potential to produce a strong, beautiful birch.  Yet the seeds together have a synergistic effect—one seed feels different than a seed cone, and one birch feels different than an encompassing birch forest.  When individuals, be they seeds or CELL students, band together, they can produce something much more environmentally valuable and wholesome than they could on their own.

Tracy Mandel

Hekla Forest September 30

Well the Hekla Forest was definitely not what I expected, but it didn’t disappoint! While picking seeds off the birch tree today, all I could think about was how it finally felt like fall. My favorite season. And it didn’t just feel like it, we were engulfed in it. Each birch had brilliant arrays of orange, pink, red, yellow, green, brown, black, and white. Just spacing out and picking the seedpods off the skinny branches was amazing. I started to feel everything, the slight stickiness of the branches and leaf endings, the crispness of the cool air, how warm my fleece was making me, how the music I was listening to (classical Beethoven) was perfect for the moment. Its funny Sarah discussed “mindfulness” in her learning forum because I think that was one of the most mindful I have been in the past few days.

            Sometimes it’s easy to forget I’m in Iceland and I’m experiencing something special. But back to the seed picking, this mindful state sent my thoughts into haywire. I started thinking back to one of my favorite quotes of all time, “And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty, and beauty stayed his hand. And from that day forward, he was as one dead." I’ve always found this quote to perfectly show the power of beauty and not the kind of beauty as in physical human beauty but inner beauty, natural beauty, untouched, uncontrolled, ever strong, ever-alive beauty. This kind of beauty overcomes and stops “beasts” in its tracks. This is the kind of beauty I have been experiencing here. This is the kind of beauty I cherish in my life and what has caused my passion for all I’m learning and doing.

Now, it’s a different task to identify who the beast is in the quote. The meaning of this character has changed many times in my life including today. It’s easy, in the environmental field, to see humans as this “beast” that challenges the place, safety, and even existence of beauty. When we all watch movies that tell about Monsanto (and most mass food production) or read articles on the “average” human consumption I just feel so bad and feel like such an ugly part of the natural world. But, this feeling changed today. In part influenced by how simple today was and also the book I’ve been reading, “The Natural Step”. My book is about the quiet revolution started in Sweden by a cancer scientist who decides that what we need to create a more sustainable world is to create a new way of thought. To sit and discuss and share all our separate views in a way that is never negative and only constructive. Creating the future of sustainability by agreeing in all aspects. 

This leads me to the simplicity of today. We were picking seeds for a collection that would later be planted in order to continue the work of the Hekla Forestation Project to continually improve the environment of the region and Iceland as a whole etc. Our simple act was part of a beautiful cause. These two things shows me how not ugly and beast-like humans are. I don’t think of myself as a rare person to think this way. We as humans have developed with an intelligence that sets us apart as a species. We can think of the future and implications, and can imagine outside ourselves and can release our basic survival instincts and think about others. On the first “solo time” I mentioned that I was thinking that humans don’t really have a place in the world, we can be so un-natural and removed from the rest. But, I am starting to realize that our place in the world is to figure it out. We are created with the capability to make mistakes and see and learn from the consequences. We didn’t harm our planet with the point to harm the planet. We didn’t’ evolve technologically to further remove ourselves. We aren’t terrible people because we can begin to understand what we have done and do something about it. The quote still has relevance to me, but after today in comparison with humans and the environment, both sides of the story hold beauty within.

 C. E. Donovan

Reykjavik Expedition

Moving Planet - September 24th

            Earlier this semester, the folks at Solheimar took part in a global event called “Moving Planet,” which is a day dedicated to reducing fossil fuel dependence. The goal is to reduce the amount of Carbon Dioxide particles in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. The starting line of the nine-kilometer race was in Minni-Borg, so Solheimar offered to provide us with a bus ride. After reflecting upon this offer I felt immediately confused. Why would we drive in a fossil fuel operated vehicle to an event intended to raise awareness of our dependence on those very same fossil fuels? Fortunately, almost everyone else was on the same page as me, and we decided that it would be best to walk to the starting line.  Upon waking up, though, the weather did not look favorable for our ambitious plan. Initially I was unsure if we would still walk to the starting line, but with the persistence of others it was easy to rally for the 100 minute walk. Although the wind and rain wasn’t exactly ideal, it was good to spend some time talking with the other group members. One part of the walk I distinctly remember enjoying was the opportunity I had to pet the horses near the roadside. It had been almost a month since I had spent any time up close with a non-human species of mammal, and I had almost forgotten what I’d missed. The black horse that initially walked up to the group was somewhat shy at first, but once he realized that we meant no harm proved to be very friendly. This experience was incredibly refreshing actually, and I hope to spend some more time exploring and meeting the local horses.

            The run on the way back was also a positive experience. I spent some time jogging with John and the runners from the Selfoss running club. Even though I couldn’t understand much of what the runners were saying, it felt fantastic to be united through such a unique medium that all humans have evolved to share. I’m sure the familiar mixture of joy, keen mental awareness and muscle ache is something that most people can relate to, if not appreciate.

            Spending time with the group at the café post-run has been one of the highlights of the trip so far. Everyone was tired out and the room was awash with endorphins; I got the overwhelming impression that we were finally beginning to form lasting bonds of friendship. I also enjoyed getting the chance to experience chocolate milk for the first time in a while, and it reminded me of the comforts of home. I’m sure I’ll get to spend many more similar days with the group, and I cannot wait.

September Day

Tracy, Christina, and Lily in Solheimar Forest

Laura, Hank, Tracey, and Tracy in Solheimar Forest 

CELL group walking to Brekkukot