Nature Trust (Malta) to hold natural history courses next month

The environmental NGO Nature Trust (Malta) will resume its popular short natural history courses in October, which should appeal to enthusiasts of natural heritage hailing from different sectors.

No prior background in biology is necessary to attend such courses, which will be open to students, professionals and members of the public. The course content is such as to inculcate participants with a thorough background on the tenets of the Maltese natural heritage.

The course co-ordinator for the first short natural history course is Alan Deidun, who will deliver lectures on aspects of the climatic and ecological conditions of the Mediterranean region, of the coastal environment and on human pressures on the local environment.

Edwin Lanfranco will be delivering a lecture on the adaptations of local plants and local natural habitats, while Arnold Sciberras will elaborate on the local faunal diversity, especially with respect to reptiles and insects.

Lectures commence on October 15 and will be held on three successive evenings, on Wednesdays, at the premises of Nature Trust (Malta) at the University of Malta (bottom of car park 1). Course participation also envisages participation to two site visits, where some aspects addressed during the lectures will be revisited through hands-on experience. These site visits will be led by Annalise Falzon, a qualified local nature guide, and will entail observations of different local natural habitats and species.

Prior reservation and payment for the course is mandatory and the deadline for reservation is September 30.

For more information on course fees and participation, contact Dr Deidun at alan.deidun@gmail.com or alan.deidun@um.edu.mt or Nature Trust (Malta) at info@naturetrustmalta.org.