Island Life: Swans Foster Geese, Birch Trees, Boat Factory Fire

It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, swan or goose… At least not in Mýrdalur, Southeast Iceland. A resident posted a Facebook update the other week, telling the heartwarming story of a pair of swans adopting a pack of goslings, that they are now raising alongside two cygnets like one big happy family.

Changes in Icelandic nature worry scientists, but please farmers. As the temperature gets higher, the population of Arctic char drops, but the tillage scenery is in bloom. Icelandic vegetation has increased 80% over the last 30 years, and one can see birch tree growth expanding rapidly in the south, west and northwest of the island.

A boat factory burnt down in Akureyri on early Wednesday morning. Firefighters rushed to the scene, but it soon became clear that going inside the building to save valuables was out of the question, as flammable materials posed serious risks to the safety of firemen. After efforts to protect houses and cars nearby, the firefighters were still working on attenuating the flames seven hours later, but the factory had already turned to ashes. The company is now facing a loss of around ten million krónur.