Gasan Mamo Insurance has pledged its support to The Gaia Foundation’s ambitious efforts to protect Malta’s landscape.

Project Gaia is Malta’s first integrated coastal zone management project, which started at Għajn Tuffieħa under an agreement with the ministry responsible for the Environment and Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

Gaia also manages a second Natura 2000 site at Ramla l-Ħamra in Gozo under a similar agreement. The foundation aims to protect the land from erosion and maintain the ecological integrity of the habitats within the sites. The process is ongoing, but it is slowed by a lack of human resources.

“Gasan Mamo’s support will help in increasing rehabilitation work carried out on a part of the Għajn Tuffieħa site at the lower part of Ħotba l-Bajda,” Foundation chief executive officer Rudolf Ragonesi explained.

“Their contribution will allow us to increase our rehabilitation work of removing alien vegetation from the site and replacing it with native plants appropriate to the habitat, based on the Natura 2000 guidelines.”

The Project, called Olympus, is part of the initiative supported by Gasan Mamo. The acacia tree is the main alien species on site. It has very strong roots, is highly invasive and prevents the native plants from flourishing.

It is being replaced by species such as Mediterranean buckthorn, yellow leaved germander, lentisk and evergreen honeysuckle in an area that was used as agricultural land in the past.

“Conservation projects are of great value to the community,” Gasan Mamo director Julian Mamo said. “It is this understanding that spurred us to contribute towards safeguarding such an important part of our environment.”