Discovering Wied Garnaw

You would not think that Wied Garnaw was a valley at all until you were standing in it. The sunken watercourse runs down a rocky channel from the old Gudja Road unseen from across the fields. Turn into an unmarked footpath roughly opposite the village cemetery for a walk through this peaceful farmland valley.

Another approach can be made by going past Sta Lucija on the airport road. The trail is marked only by a painted blue arrow, leading past a red farm building where goats are kept, down into the hidden green lung.

Or you could begin your walk at the lower end of the valley, off Triq tal-Barrani, starting from the St Lucia chapel which has recently been reopened to the public. The order for the building of this chapel was issued 30 years before the great siege.

Walking up the valley plain, the casual rambler will notice that the illegal car park next door to the notorious Country Castle (now closed down by MEPA) has been returned to the environment. A layer of soil has been applied and a healthy 10-cm growth of new grass is reclaiming the land.

A new application for use of the ground as a horse paddock has been filed. Providing this is not subject to change of use, observers consider this to be a positive development in the valley which has become known for the many strong development pressures coming at it from every angle.

Across the ex-car park from the ex-wedding hall is a walled off portion of land which was recently turned down as unsuitable for a skip depot. The application has resurfaced for reconsideration by the planning authority after an initial decision to refuse planning permission. The situation is being carefully monitored by residents.

Building debris and farm rubbish including over 100 syringes, believed to have been used for the treatment of farm animals, were removed during a recent "Clean up the World" initiative organised by the Sta Lucija council together with the Girl Guides and Save Wied Garnaw Action Group.

The local council has also helped fund a book, Let's go to Wied Garnaw in Santa Lucija by Dr Sylvia Haslam and Dr Joe Borg. This welcome initiative should help draw awareness to this lovely valley between Sta Lucija and Gudja while helping to preserve it for enjoyment by future generations.

Rediscovering Dwejra

The Malta Tourism Authority is exploring the possibility of trying to attract tourists who come here for our natural environment.

Already a prime dive site in the Maltese Islands, the Dwejra area in Gozo has a little bit of everything for the eco-tourist. Valleys, cliffs, farmed land, rare endemic plants, Punic and Roman remains - on top of the unique geological feature of the inland sea and stone window carved into the coastline.

It is a candidate Natura 2000 site, and just missed being granted status as a World Heritage Site because of the blot of the quarries on the landscape as one approaches the area from San Lawrenz.

The potential of Dwejra as an experience which can fill an entire day is being actively pursued as a LIFE project in the nature category steered by Malta's foremost nature group.

Competition was stiff for funding of LIFE nature with 107 applications from other countries. The Nature Trust Malta proposal, which brings in Mepa and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as partners, was chosen because it was strong on good management and sustainability. Through promotion of eco-tourism, the project is expected to make enough money to sustain itself while bringing in business for the people of the locality.

MEPA is contributing Lm24,000 to the project obtained as "planning gain", an environmental fee charged as recompense on the expansion of the San Lawrenz Hotel. Expertise provided by WWF is a great asset to the Dwejra project since this organisation has worked on 21 successful projects of this type in Italy.

Management is to focus on how the many activities at Dwejra can be managed so as to minimise conflict. Some activities taking place at the moment are damaging the area such as removing or defacing of fossils from the rock by would-be collectors. Constant diving in the same cave means that rising air bubbles break the delicate red coral growing on the cave roof at a rate which may not allow for their preservation. Alternating the use of different caves could allow better regeneration of the corals but this requires good co-ordination between diving schools.

Nature Trust Malta is busy holding meetings to bring all stakeholders together: boat men, divers, abseillers, coach drivers, farmers, hunters, quarry men and anyone else who carries out activities in the area, whether it is their job or their means of recreation.

NTM president Vincent Attard is quick to point out that no part of Dwejra will be closed to the public although activities may have to be restricted if it is found that they are unsustainable.

One point which concerns many who work there is whether the stone arch might one day succumb to erosion. Visitors who climb to the top of the arch for a good view can admire the cart ruts etched in the rock found there, but a geologist has expressed concern that large numbers of people on top of the arch might contribute to the damage and accelerate any changes.

Extensions to the quarries are being considered. These offer a very high quality of stone. The LIFE nature project makes it more likely that the possibility of future mining taking place underground rather than damaging more surface area may have to be considered. There are also plans to restore existing quarries. These may be used to house the first stop on the visitor's experience of Dwejra, a visitor centre. Another option is for the quarries to be filled with soil and turned over to agricultural production.

The second stop on a tour of Dwejra could be the tower where information on its history, together with underwater scenes on film, could be appreciated by the visitor with an emphasis on access for all including provision for the disabled.

Preservation of rubble walls features highly in the project with courses on rubble wall restoration to be held in the locality. Underwater measures to protect the essential sea grass posidonia could be taken through the laying out of buoys to prevent individual boat anchors tearing up the stabilising mat of rhizomes and fronds on the sea bottom.

The training of guides and wardens and development of environmental education for children will all be taken in hand. Designing and placing of signs providing information and guidance is another important part of the project.

Following a survey of both land and sea, a five-year management plan must be finalised by next month. The plan will aim to completely rehabilitate the area while addressing issues such as littering and parking. Economic activities which can contribute to a fund for the ongoing upkeep of the project are to be identified.

It is expected that schools in Gozo already participating in the Green Flag scheme will become involved in the project in some way.

Besides random audit checks, every six months a report must be made to the EU. Funds risk drying up if any environmental damage is done or if there is a strong conflict which cannot be resolved.

The final aim is to sensitively develop Dwejra into a showcase of a nature reserve and explore possibilities for funding Phase Two of the project as well as other conservation projects.

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