A number of families gathered at the Foresta 2000 woodland in Mellieħa to celebrate the school donations raised for tree management in the area.

Donations were collected through a fundraising activity of Dinja Waħda, the environmental education programme run by Birdlife Malta. Birdlife Malta organised Foresta Family Day, a new annual event, to thank all of the children, parents and teachers.

“The school donations are vital in helping look after the developing trees so that future generations will be able to enjoy walking through rich woodland, full of healthy local trees and shrubs,” Foresta 2000 reserve warden Ray Vella said.

Last scholastic year, €4,378 were raised. The school raising the most money was Rabat primary school, which collected €360. This accumulates from 20c children donate for the Dinja Waħda Foster a Forest activity.

Each time a donation is made, children colour a part of a paper tree, making the tree grow. This activity also teaches about the importance of forests as ecosystems and homes for wildlife.

Participants enjoyed a guided walk and other activities such as tree planting demonstrations, a discovery session to find out the variety of plants and animals and time for creativity with nature art. “My favourite part was naming a tree and getting to know about trees,” said Ellen, one of the participating children.

The Dinja Waħda programme currently covers over 80 per cent of all primary schools, providing educators with vast teaching resources for environmental education.

Foresta 2000 is a restored wooded area where, to date, over 21,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted in the formerly degraded land.