Nature Trust (Malta) recently organised an educational walk to two of the most geologically impressive sites in the south-western part of the island - Wied Babu and Il-Maqluba.

Led by Jeffrey Sciberras, Nature Trust's flora conservation officer, the participants first visited Il-Maqluba, the largest natural gorge on Malta, where a Bay Laurel woodland and maquis has evolved. The gorge is over 700 years old and is associated with a number of legends. The cliff-side features the national tree, the Sandarac Gum Tree, and the gorge itself is home to other trees and shrubs of interest.

On their way to Wied Babu, the participants observed mature Carob trees and small agricultural fields. The valley is one of the most important on the island, particularly because it features rare and endemic plant species, such as the Italian Orchid and the Maltese Rock Centaury, as well as many other species of indigenous garigue and phyrgana flora, like the Rosemary and Crown Vetch shrubs. Botany and geology were the main focus of the walk, followed by reference to the fauna of the area.