American architect William McDonough recently held his annual exclusive conference on sustainable initiatives and improved utilization of the world’s resources at the fishing cabin at Vatnsdalsá in Northwest Iceland. According to Morgunblaðið’s sources, former vice president of the United States, Al Gore, attended the meeting and also went fishing in Vatnsdalsá.
Pétur Pétursson, the manager of the estate at Vatnsdalsá, said to Morgunblaðið that the conference has been held there for the past decade or so, usually for about six days at a time. Guests meet every day and then spend the rest of their time fishing and exploring the surrounding nature. The river’s policy of catch-and-release fits well with the theme of the conference, Pétur said.
A variety of notable people are invited to the conference every year: scientists, designers, politicians, business tycoons and celebrities alike, with past guests including Susan Sarandon and Steven Spielberg. In recent years Danish celebrity chef Søren Westh has catered the conference, reportedly using in his cooking a variety of wild herbs from the valley of Vatnsdalur.
