The first Peatland LIFEline mobile exhibition was held on Culture Night, 22 August, in the greenhouse at Lækjartorg in Reykjavik. There was plenty on offer for visitors and the turnout was excellent. The purpose of the exhibition is to educate people about life in wetlands, wetland restoration and its effects.

Peatland LIFEline staff from BirdLife Iceland, Land and Forest and the Agricultural University of Iceland were there from 13:00 to 18:30, and visitors were not deterred by the rain and bad weather. People of all ages stopped by to learn about the exhibition and see various interesting things related to wetlands.

Sticklebacks were a hit

It was possible to learn about various aspects of wetland restoration, such as the effects on birds, fish and the climate – biodiversity and the cultural value of wetlands.

On display were, among other things, dried peat that was used as firewood in the past and various types of wetland plants. Visitors could do puzzles and get tattoos, examine various instruments used by Land and Forest Iceland for measurements in wetlands, poke at sphagnum moss and browse through a folder of dried plants from the wetland.

It's safe to say that the three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) were the most popular attraction at the exhibition. Staff from Land and Forest Iceland used so-called minnow traps, which were left overnight in the Vatnsmýri wetland, to catch the sticklebacks. They enjoyed the attention during the day, but after the exhibition, they were returned to their home, safe and sound.

The soundscape of an Icelandic summer

The birdsong that echoed through the greenhouse was recorded by Magnús Bergsson on 26 June 2012 in the Friðland Nature Reserve in Flói.

“It is about two o'clock in the morning and the birdlife is in full swing on this bright summer night. The birds that can be heard most clearly are a red-throated diver and its two young, red-necked phalaropes, a redshank and a whimbrel. Various other species are in the background. In the background, you can hear the surf along the south coast, some traffic, horses and sheep,” says the description on Magnús's website, Hljóðmynd – Soundimage, where you can listen to many interesting recordings, including various nature and environmental sounds.

We highly recommend visiting www.fieldrecording.net

Thank you, City of Reykjavík

Culture Night is one of the biggest events of the year in Reykjavík, where tens of thousands of people make their way to the city centre to attend various events, exhibitions and concerts. We would like to thank the City of Reykjavík for allowing us to host the travelling exhibition in the greenhouse at Lækjartorg.