this is the biggest mistake to avoid in Iceland and nobody talks about it first you have to know that Iceland is a volcanic country the volcanic history is deep and everywhere you go you will see remnants of gorgeous old volcanoes now when you’re driving all around the country you will see these lava Fields they are everywhere and the lava fields are covered in this absolutely gorgeous squishy springy green moss do not touch the Moss this is the mistake we want to avoid the Moss takes hundreds of years to grow it is extremely fragile and just by walking on it you could ruin it and it could take decades to up to a 100 years to grow now it is better to stay on the designated Trails like this one so you don’t destroy it I wish that they told you this at immigration at the airport when you’re Landing into Iceland because a lot of people don’t know I did not know on my first visit and I really think that we should all leave no Trace respect the land
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Every scandinavian knows this and it's so deeply ingrained that even though I rationally understand that maybe not everybody on earth knows about the growth cycles of moss,I still can't believe it.
you can touch the moss if you want. just don't tear or step on it.
also, keep your stickers and spray cans at home.
Don’t touch the moss!!
Oh my god, we are planning our trip for the end of the year, how is this random Youtube short the first time I've heard of this?!?!
Thank you for the heads up!! We need to post about avoiding the moss on the forums, reddit, and other channels we come across 😢Never in my life have I heard a peep about it!
(Moss grows VERY quickly over here, so it wouldn't cross a lot of people's minds, and they'd feel absolutely horrible to learn they've damaged it from walking on it!)
I'm going to send an email to their tourism board with some premade signs and ideas; everyone sees the incredible landscape in movies, but are never told/ they don't research about the fragile moss.
It's gorgeous and even more amazing and ethereal to learn how long it takes to grow in the cold!💖✨️✨️✨️✨️
The tourism board is probably made up of considerate humans that love their native outdoors💞
They might be underestimating how dumb most people are acting, how entitled MANY people are, and how malicious others are. 😢😥
Normally you take your garbage with you and leave only footprints … In Iceland you don't even leave footprints! ^^
This is a myth.
Good message – however annoying, nasally, elitist tone of speaker. Yuck.
Thank you for sharing this with us 😊
Why don't folk buy guide books as soon as they've booked their trip? They will tell you things you shouldn't do.
Sorry you have ever been outside
all moss is liken than.. get it . Liken…
CAnt fix stupid
Hmmmmm
sad that people have to be told this.
what waterfall is i t
A lot empty land nobody there
It's MOSS. SMH. It will GROW BACK. It was here before you, it will be here after you're long gone. You're not "saving nature". Nature is a FORCE far more powerful than humans and a person literally walking on plants and fungus.
The hubris smh.
@Alexcsiger 😂😂😂
On my very first trip to Iceland, I had done a lot of research, simply because this was a foreign country and I did not want to make any mistakes! I knew all about the beloved moss. I’m surprised so many people don’t have the common sense not to walk on it! Just got back again and have never seen anyone doing that but I guess it happens? Tsk tsk
Its actually not moss, its lichen
oh no not the moss!!
I'll be there in some months and definitely remember this warning. I value untouched nature above all.
Why the hell would you go somewhere and go trampling off the path anyway?
Same anywhere in the north bc of the short growing season. 😊
Damn. I love to pet soft and mushy moss.
you can touch the moss, if not handling it roughly, but do NOT tug at it, rip it, but you will not destroy it, by gently tapping it to feel how soft it is. but do NOT STEP ON THE MOSS <3
If that moss field was in the USA it would be destroyed in a week.
Still my dream country❤