Visitors to this year’s Echo Fest, which will be organised this weekend, will be given the opportunity to go on a guided tour in a mini-bus, which will take them around five different sites of natural and cultural or archaeological importance and Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), in which projects have been, or will be, carried out under the Environmental Initiatives in Partnership Programme (EIPP).

So far, about 16 sites have benefited from the EIPP fund, which is managed by Mepa, Rural Affairs and the Environment Minister George Pullicino said yesterday, during a mini-bus tour organised specifically for members of the media.

Speaking outside St Michael’s Chapel in Salina, Minister Pullicino said that funds collected from planning applications, were being used for projects of conservation and restoration of cultural and natural heritage.

The 400-year-old St Michael’s Chapel was recently restored in collaboration with the Burmarrad Parish Church and Mr Mark Vassallo, who chose to fork out a sum of money in aid of the restoration work carried out by Heritage Malta and the Bighi Restoration Centre. The chapel’s restoration cost Lm25,000 and work still needs to be carried out on the surrounding landscape.

Another area forming part of the tour includes Wied Ghollieqa, which is being rehabilitated, restored and maintained. Work includes the rebuilding of rubble walls, planting and maintenance of some rare, indigenous trees and plants – like the myrtle (rihan), holm oaks (ballut) and olive trees (zebbug) – and the construction of an educational visitors’ centre.

Other areas that will form part of the tours for the public this weekend are the area of T’Alla u Ommu, limits of Naxxar, Wied il-Mizieb, limits of Mellieha and the Mellieha public garden.

Visitors will be able to learn about restoration work on a part of the Victoria Lines, a project carried out in collaboration with Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna.

Wied il-Mizieb houses the largest native population of the Sandarac Gum Tree (sigra ta’ l-gharghar) and is protected because it houses various rare, threatened and endemic flora and fauna.

Tours will be available on Saturday and Sunday. Mini-buses will leave Independence Garden in Sliema at 6pm, 6.30pm and 7pm.