Ársrit Skógræktarfélags Íslands - 15.12.1975, Page 28

vik City Summer Work School started tree
planting in Heiðmörk.
Gradually a good many of the „pioneers“
dropped out, although some of them are still
active, but the Summer Work School girls are
now doing most of the tree planting under
the guidance of their teachers and one or two
men from R.S.S.
In 1959 a new method of planting was
introduced. A large plow drawn by a belt
tractor was applied to the land and seedlings
were planted in the furrows with ample use
of fertilizer (horse manure). This method
(having been practiced earlier in Scotland on
flat land) was continued for five years, but
whether it is preferable to ordinary method
of tree planting still remains to be seen.
XI. Groves bearing certain names.
Planting in Vífilsstaðahlíð are done mostly
in the name of certain persons or firms, who
have donated funds for this purpose, and the
various plots are marked either with the name
of the donator or the name of the person to
whom the grove is dedicated.
XII. Roadbuilding.
Road building in Heiðmörk was started in
the autumn of 1949. This was a stretch of
road 2>4 km long, and it was finished before
the opening celebration in June 1950. Build-
ing of the road was supervised by R.S.S.’s
manager, as was also the case with other road
building and road maintenance in the follow-
ing years, when the road system was gradual-
ly extended. Roads in Heiðmörk were built
for summer traffic only. During winter with
frequent freezing and thawing the gates to
Heiðmörk have to be closed. But in 1973 funds
were allotted by Reykjavik City Government
for improving the roads in Heiðmörk, so as to
make them usable all the year around, and
at the same time it was decided, that further
roadbuilding and road maintenance in Heið-
mörk in the future should be handled by the
City Engineering Department.
The road system in Heiðmörk now totals
26.6 km.
26
XIII. Superuision.
When the fencing in of Heiðmörk was
about to be finished in December 1948, all
sheep that might be grazing inside had to
be chased out. Every year the fence has to
be inspected and repaired.
Although tidiness is well observed by the
visiting public in general, it is still necessary
to make a tour of inspection after each week-
end to make certain that no trash of any kind
is being left anywhere.
Inspection of the fence around Heiðmörk,
inspection of picnic grounds in Heiðmörk,
supervision of tree planting by „pioneers" and
Summer School pupils, supervision of proper-
ties at Elliðavatn and a few other diings were
entrusted to one employee of R.S.S., who in
1964 made his home at Elliðavatn.
XIV. The farm Elliðavatn.
The inclusion of the farm Elliðavatn in
Heiðmörk and in the care of R.S.S. had a
twofold purpose: To prevent the houses and
other valuables at the farm from deteriora-
tion, and to use the houses, both living quar-
ters (the main farmhouse) and other houses
on the farm in connection with the activities
in Heiðmörk.
Before the employee of R.S.S., previously
mentioned, with his family, could make his
home at Elliðavatn, various improvements had
to be made on the houses, especially the main
farmhouse. Besides such improvements, two
small rooms in the main farmhouse were com-
bined into one room, making it a nice little
conference room, which also serves as a re-
ception room for guests, who occasionally ar-
rive.
XV. Meteorological observations.
Although Heiðmörk is only in a distance of
10—15 km from Reykjavik, the weather is not
the same in the two areas. It is obvious to
anyone familiar with both places, that in Heið-
mörk precipitation is heavier and winter tem-
perature somewhat lower than in Reykjavik.
Less was known about summer temperatures.
In order to gain some further knowledge on
this point, R.S.S. approached the Meteoro-
ÁRSRIT SKÓGRÆKTARFÉLAGS ÍSLANDS 1975