500 more trees being planted at Mater Dei

500 indigenous trees and shrubs are being planted at the Mater Dei Hospital by staff members in an initiative by GO plc, Mater Dei and Nature Trust (Malta) to mark Arbor Week.

The trees are being planted in an area between the main entrance and the mortuary building which will be transformed into a small Mediterranean woodland complete with educational information panels on the flora of the site and a small recreational area for staff, visitors and patients.

GO is paying for the trees, Nature Trust (Malta) is providing the trees and shrubs and the educational panels and the Mater Dei management and staff are planting and maintaining the trees.

Vincent Attard - Executive President of Nature Trust (Malta) thanked Go and Mater Dei for their support to such initiatives. He said that with the area being close to an industrial area, the woodland would help provide a green lung to the hospital. Furthermore with the site touching Wied Ghollieqa from San Gwann side, this project would also complement the work NTM is doing further down the valley at the Wied Ghollieqa Nature Reserve.

GO CEO David Kay said: "GO is proud to be part of this project involving the planting of several indigenous plants in the Maltese islands. We look forward to further this collaboration with Nature Trust as well as the Mater Dei Hospital so that we help make Malta greener, thus reducing our carbon emissions footprint."

Marion Rizzo, Chief Executive Mater Dei Hospital, said that that the trees and shrubs which would be planted would include carob trees (Harrub), Holm Oak (Ballut), Aleppo Pines, Myrtle (Rihan) and Rosemary (Klin). Wied Ghollieqa was particularly populated with carob and holm oak trees.