‘Plant detectives’ try to identify different species in an area of garrigue during the recent Walk for Nature. Photo: Ella Beeson‘Plant detectives’ try to identify different species in an area of garrigue during the recent Walk for Nature. Photo: Ella Beeson

A group of 223 children and adults recently marked the start of spring by taking part in a seven-kilometre Walk for Nature organised by Birdlife Malta that raised €1,200 in aid of nature conservation.

The walk is held every year by Klabb Ħuttaf, Birdlife Malta’s nature club for young people, and is one of the activities for Dinja Waħda environmental primary schools. Staff from the Bank of Valletta, Birdlife’s partners in Dinja Waħda, also joined in the walk.

While raising money for conservation, the activity also helps teach children (and adults) about Maltese wildlife and why it is important that we protect it.

The money raised will be used to improve the Għadira and Is-Simar reserves, including buying binoculars for visitors to use, helping them get closer to the birds and other wildlife in these rare wetland habitats.

The walk took a rural route from Siġġiewi parish square along countryside lanes through fields bordered with traditional rubble walls and past the Neolithic temples of Ħagar Qim to St Matthew’s chapel near Maqluba.

Along the way participants enjoyed the sights and sound of the Maltese countryside and wildlife in spring, with resident Maltese breeding birds like the Zitting Cisticola making an appearance, as well as butterflies, lizards and many native flowering plants, adding colour and interest at every turn.

The highlight of the walk was an activity for the children (and some of the adults) which turned them into plant detectives as they tried to identify the different species of plants in an area of garrigue.

This year, seven primary schools took part in the activity, and for the first time they were joined by adult members of Birdlife Malta, who were happy to be able to share their knowledge of Maltese wildlife with the younger generation.

At the end of the walk, prizes were given to all the children who took part, with the top prize – a copy of Breeding Birds of the Maltese Islands – going to Giulia Debattista Montalto, who raised €125 for the walk.

www.birdlifemalta.org

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