Active volcanoes, geysers that make Old Faithful look lazy, and ancient glaciers dot this sparsely populated island nation, and Aurora Borealis provides a nightly show through the winter and the summers when sunlight extends into the wee hours. Although Iceland is not above the arctic circle, some of its islands are, which make it one of the most unique nations on Earth. The nation’s tumultuous environment provides an added incentive to volunteer in Iceland.

This European Union Member has a population of less than 400,000 citizens, and 200,000 of them living in Reykjavik, while the rest are spread out in small hamlets and rural settings surrounded by mountains, fjords, and fierce rivers. It is possible to find opportunities to volunteer in Iceland across the nation’s diverse landscape.

Reykjavik is the capital and largest city in Iceland. At 64 degrees latitude, it is also the world’s most northern capital. The city is believed to have been established as the first settlement in 870 AD by Norsemen. While Reykjavick is one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world, it still suffers from many urban challenges facing every city in the world, which means there are volunteer opportunities in Reykjavick working in drug abuse rehabilitation and with both elderly and disadvantaged youth.

Skaftafell is a preservation area in southeast Iceland and part of Vatnajökull National Park, most notable because it has been carved by millennia of glacier movements and erupting volcanoes. Once a farming settlement, the volcanic eruption of 1362 wiped out the population and it was renamed Öræfi, or wasteland, but volunteering in Skaftafell will most definitely not be a waste.

Akureyri, nicknamed the capital of the north, the city is the fourth largest city and the second largest metropolitan area in Iceland, with a staggering population of 17,000. The city was granted city status by the King of Denmark in 1778, only to lose the status in 1836 when its population of 12 wasn’t showing any signs of growing.

Borgarnes is a larger town by Icelandic standards, nearing 2,000 residents with amenities including a gas station, restaurants, and shops. This beautiful coastal town is often a staging place for environmental projects in western Iceland.