Land and Forest Iceland organised the symposium on December 5th, International Soil Day, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Gift's establishment. The Icelandic parliament, Althingi, allocated a special budget to address vegetation and soil erosion resulting from settlement, fulfilling the project's aim of repaying the nation's ecological debt.

A five-year land reclamation program, funded by the National Gift, was implemented. Funding was distributed to the Icelandic Land Reclamation Service, the National Forest Service, the Agricultural Research Institute, the NGO Landvernd, and the Icelandic Farmers’ Association. Comprehensive initiatives focused on mitigating the impacts of livestock grazing, vegetation restoration, fertiliser and seed distribution, soil and vegetation research, cultivation of materials for land reclamation and forestry, and fostering collaboration and social engagement within the agricultural sector.

The symposium, held at Reykjavík's Nordic House, with almost every seat occupied. President Ágúst Sigurðsson of Land and Forest Iceland delivered opening remarks, followed by Sveinn Runólfsson, a former land reclamation manager and former member of the National Gift's cooperation committee. Professor Ása Aradóttir of the Agricultural University of Iceland and Sigþrúður Jónsdóttir of Land and Forest Iceland presented research on forestry and land reclamation, with the latter focusing on grazing. Björg Eva Erlendsdóttir, chairperson of Landvernd, addressed nature conservation. Following a coffee break, Olga Kolbrún Vilmundardóttir, an expert from the Institute of Natural Sciences, presented on Iceland's biotope map. Trausti Jónsson, Land and Forest Iceland's National Forest Manager of South Iceland, highlighted the recreational value of forests. Finally, Rán Finnsdóttir and Helena Marta Stefánsdóttir, Land and Forest Iceland experts, discussed the agency's monitoring and incentive programs.

The symposium garnered significant attention for its comprehensive overview of the extensive knowledge accumulated over the past 50 years regarding the nation's soil and vegetation resources. Furthermore, it emphasised the substantial number of monitoring plots maintained by Land og skógur nationwide — a total of 3,270 — as illustrated in the accompanying map:

Symposium attendees expressed strong support for a new National Gift to facilitate advancements in land reclamation, ecosystem restoration, and reforestation. Furthermore, they emphasised the importance of enhanced public outreach to communicate project activities and progress.

The above photograph depicts the symposium's principal organisers, Fífa Jónsdóttir and Ágúst Sigurðsson, alongside the initial presenters. Subsequent photographs illustrate the land reclamation achievements near Gullfoss waterfall, a project funded by the National Gift. These images showcase the same area in 1975, following erosion ridge removal; in 2016, demonstrating significant progress; and finally, last summer, during a site visit by land reclamation officer Garðar Þorfinnsson and former Landgræðslan employee Áskell Þórisson, with Mr. Þórisson providing photographic documentation.