It is safe to say that COVID-19 has had an impact on many people’s lives. Our physical and mental health have been affected, our social lives have taken the backseat and we have had to adapt to a new lifestyle in a short amount of time. However, COVID-19 has not only affected our ways of...
Category: Environmental Education and Activism
Flower of the month – May – Yellow flowers
May: Yellow flowers of the month As if to remind us of the upcoming sunny days the month of May sees several shrubs dress up in bright yellow – the colour of warmth and joy and also a great favourite amongst pollinators. These small shrubs are typical of garigue areas and some go as far...
Everything comes from the soil, and returns to the soil’ Satish Kumar.
‘As humanity hangs at a precipice, we need shifts that can be made by each of us, with far reaching implications for the planet and all people’. Vandana Shiva We are all becoming increasingly aware of how our daily actions are contributing to the destruction of our planet. The younger generation holds a stronger desire...
Solidarity – a core value for Friends of the Earth
This illustration is by Alexandra Koleva for Fine Acts. Ike Teuling is our Solidarity Officer for the Friends of the Earth Europe network based in Brussels. We talked to her to find out what the role entails, what it means to act in solidarity, and to get her take on European solidarity during the pandemic....
Flower of the month – April – Wild Orchids of the Maltese Islands
With the wide array of colours, shapes and scents of flowers bursting forth In early springtime it is very difficult to choose just one plant to focus on – so this time round we feature a selection from a group of plants known more for their exotic counterparts (grown on industrial scales to embellish homes...
The European Green Deal’s ambition to reach carbon neutrality by 2050
General Background We have lived in a society which, in the past, has been careless of the environment and the consequences of our actions can be clearly noticeable today, from the world-known “Global Warming” issue to the shortage of energy-producing resources. Moreover, air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of the world, causing...
Foraging plant of the month – March: Asparagus
Mediterranean Asparagus (MT: Spraġ) Asparagus aphyllus Seems like the stinging plants often turn out to yield interesting rewards! Encountering the foraging plant of this month may result in some complaints as its spiky leaves get stuck to clothing and often do not let you go.
Keep protected areas protected! The case of Tal-Wej
In January’s newsletter we touched upon the incredible ecological diversity of freshwater rockpools – unfortunately since then a new threat has arisen which jeopardises the future of one of the most important Temporary Freshwater Rockpool sites and archaeologically rich areas in Malta – Tal-Wej – the last open space located between the built up areas...
Foraging plant of the month – February: Nettle
Nettle (MT: Ħurrieq) Urtica spp. Many know the nettle plant more for its painful stinging sensation than for culinary or medicinal reasons. Although it may be difficult to come across nettle tea or nettle soup in local menus, traditionally nettle was used commonly in Malta as a remedy for chillblains.