Why protect nature in Iceland

Unspoiled wilderness can never be recreated. 42% of all remaining wilderness in Europe is located in Iceland^[1]. It is under constant threat, is vulnerable and decreases everyday.

Threats include expanding industry and factories, and wealthy private individuals buying up large areas of land for private use.

Ice Trust's mission is to protect Icelandic wilderness and preserve it for generations to come, who deserve a biologically diverse and healthy world.

How Ice Trust started

We are two Icelandic brothers who founded Ice Trust in 2020. Studying abroad made us more aware of the uniqueness of Icelandic nature. The majority of Icelandic wilderness is privately owned. When land in Iceland goes on sale, the only buyers are those who can profit from the land. Unfortunately, this often means that the wilderness is sacrificed. We are reacting to this and want to build a community to buy unspoilt land and preserve wilderness.

Every year, we feel how nature recedes to make way for buildings and infrastructure. The thought of all of it disappearing and with the current conservation efforts inadequate made us take action now.

How Ice Trust is different

Until now, Icelandic nature has been well protected compared to the rest of Europe. However, the national park system has its drawbacks.

National parks are slow and sensitive to government changes. We are fast, agile and create personal connections between the land and those interested in nature conservation.

The objective of Ice Trust is to complement the current system - conservation hedging. Having land protected by both the government and the community is better than either one alone.

Who owns Ice Trust?

Ice Trust CIC is a Community Interest Company. That means its assets, including donations, are locked and cannot be used for purposes other than those set out in the Company constitution.

The Community

You can be part of the community and in return get your plot.



If you want to take your contributions to the next level, join our volunteer network and actively help this project. Send us a message on Twitter or Instagram to get in touch.

@theicetrust @theicetrust