Children raise funds for breeding swifts
Some 80 children yesterday took part in a sponsored marathon walk from Rabat to Qrendi and raised €1,121 from donations towards the construction of Swift (Rundun) nest boxes to be put up in various localities across Malta and Gozo.
The marathon walk is the most popular annual event organised by Dinja Waħda and Klabb Ħuttaf, BirdLife Malta's children's club. BirdLife Malta, together with its partner in education Bank of Valletta, this year extended the invitation to all primary schools in Malta and Gozo, offering them the opportunity to raise funds for these common migrant birds, with the intention of placing specially designed Swift nest boxes in suitable locations around the Maltese Islands.
"Through Dinja Waħda children are being made more aware about Malta's wildlife. Swifts are recent additions to Malta's list of breeding species and the children have shown enthusiasm in helping these newcomers establish a stronghold," said Nicolette Falzon, Dinja Waħda manager.
Dinja Waħda is BirdLife Malta's and Bank of Valletta's environmental education program for primary schools, carried out in collaboration with the Directorate for Quality Standards in Education (DQSE).
11 Comments
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Franco Farrugia
Mar 15th 2010, 16:35
All these prayers in favour of nature are useless - just a sign of sheer hypocrisy and double standards, because there can be no nature without animals - and that includes free birds!
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Mar 15th 2010, 15:14
My comment specifically stated "By all means teach children how to appreciate nature" your comments accusing me of anything to the contrary are superfluous.
Raising the hopes of these young children that their donation will help encourage more swifts to breed in Malta is nothing short of a rip-off.
Their well earned money could be put to better use in terms of nature conservation at least something that would give visible results.
C Mallia
Mar 16th 2010, 14:38
You do have a big problem to be objective and constructive. Probably its the way you have been brought up with a hunting destructive attitude. Such kids are lucky that the opportunity is given for them to appreciate nature and try to do something about it, and sets the example for adults to follow . Whether the swifts breed or not is besides the point. The point is the educational effect that we should encourage nature activities. Of course it is a bitter pill that you cannot bring yourself to swallow that birdlife actually does good.
Franco Farrugia
Mar 15th 2010, 12:06
@ MMB: You never stop amazing me. This is not 'conning'. It is 'education'! A holistic education.
It is a 'marathon walk'! Do you know what that is? Off you go to the nearest reference book!
M.Gatt
Mar 15th 2010, 11:47
MMB What a horrible, disgusting & predictable comment.... that was so full of hate & spite at anyone or anything remotely connected to preserving nature or bird welfare & so typical of a Maltese hunter.
Come down from the trees, these are children you're talking about ....or would rather they invest their money in shotguns, ammunition & fake eyes ?
N Xuereb
Mar 15th 2010, 10:42
Its good to help birds breed, but I don't agree with raising the money through children. And if the government wanted to help swifts breed, he should have not left Tigne point develop into a concrete gungle. I remember, even up to 4 years ago, swifts breeding there, even while the construction was going on. I summer I used to see the young swifts chasing each other in early morning and before sunset from Tigne point all around Sliema. Now that its on the verge of opening I doubt if they will breed there again .
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Mar 15th 2010, 09:59
To actually con children into believing that the few swifts that breed in Malta will actually breed in the nest boxes they donated for is ludicrous.
The Euro 1,121 raised from these innocent children for this purpose is comparable to daylight robbery.
By all means teach children how to appreciate nature but leave their WELL EARNED money for a worthy cause.
1,121 EURO RAISED BY 80 CHILDREN AMOUNTS TO 14 EURO EACH. WHAT A RIP-OFF!!!
Mario Tabone
Mar 15th 2010, 10:56
@ Mark Mifsud Bonnici........
It's ignorant comments like yours that try and con youngsters. Young kids are these days growing up appreciating wild life and its commendable that they try and do their bit to help.
While not all bird boxes might be used by the birds, it is a known fact that the system works. Here in the UK most gardens provide birdboxes for breeding purposes because unlike yourself obviously, people appreciate song birds and look upon them as belonging to everybody to enjoy rather than blast them out of the sky or trapping them to keep them selfishly in a shoe size box.
Well done to these young kids as they and their new way of thinking is the future !!
Farrugia A
Mar 15th 2010, 11:35
Your comments are nothing less but the usual disgusting. Not even in a children's event do you shy away from creating controversy.
martin pisani
Mar 15th 2010, 08:46
As a hunter and bird lover I must express my gratitude to the organisers of the nest box event.
There is nothing nicer than seeing birds preparing their nests.
Only this morning my young daughter came with me to my filed and saw for herself sparrows preparing their nests and also the pair of Sandinian and Fan Tailed Warblers, local breeding birds.
Well done to all.
M.Pisani
R. Azzopardi
Mar 15th 2010, 10:58
I couldn't agree more. As a child I had a large garden at the back of the house and I used to put up many nesting boxes and a bird table. I used to spend countless hours watching sparrows build their nest, fly to and fro to feed their young and finally watching the young take their first flight. I had a large aviary too and could watch my own birds do the same things. They were so beautiful.
We really need to teach our children how to appreciate the little bit of wildlife we have. It is largely ignored or else it is only looked at as a source of food. I am a scuba diver and get asked the same stupid question every time I get out of the water "ma tnizzilx harpoon mieghek?". NO I DON'T! I want to see fish in its natural environment while its alive and kicking.