As part of World Wetlands Day, Birdlife Malta yesterday invited the public to visit Ghadira and Is-Simar nature reserves. BirdLife, together with their major education sponsor APS Bank, also organised educational tours for the students of De La Salle College to the Nature Reserves.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February every year in around 100 countries around the world. It marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971, which set out to ensure the protection of wetland sites worldwide. Ghadira and Is-Simar are Malta’s finest examples of wetlands and are internationally recognised as Ramsar Wetland Sites.
As part of BirdLife’s education programme, students from De La Salle College were given a guided tour of the reserves. Staff at the reserves explained why wetlands are so important for such a large variety of migratory and resident birds. For migratory birds, these sites act as a critical stop-over for resting and refuelling. For birds which live in Malta all year round, they provide a refuge, important feeding sites and a place to breed.
APS Bank has been sponsoring BirdLife’s education programme for over four years. Alfred Triganza, senior marketing manager of APS Bank said: “We support BirdLife’s education project as APS Bank feels that it is part of our social obligations to help our children become more environmentally aware. Education leads to conservation and will ensure that these beautiful Maltese wetlands will be protected for future generations of birds and our children alike”.
Throughout this weekend, the public can also take a guided walk through these special sites to learn about Maltese wetland habitats and species. These tours will be held between 10am and 4pm and are free of charge for all adults and children.
Although Malta is not in the migratory season at the moment, these reserves are exciting places to visit all year round. Birds you might see at the weekend include the Common Coot (Tigiega tal-Bahar) and the Moorhen (Galozz Iswed). The reeds might reveal a glimpse of the Common Snipe (Bekkacc) or you might hear the eerie cry of the elusive Water Rail (Galozz tax-Xitwa).