Be the first to comment!Children walk 11 km family marathon in celebration of spring
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In an event organised by Klabb Huttaf, BirdLife Malta’s children’s club, and Dinja Wahda, 37 children and their parents today completed an 11 km family Marathon Walk from Rabat to Qrendi, raising €1075 for conservation.
These funds will go towards the purchase of binoculars which will be used by schoolchildren visiting the Ghadira and Simar Nature Reserves. Several thousand schoolchildren visit the nature reserves every year, with around 2,000 expected to visit the two reserves over the coming six weeks – the peak spring migration period.
During this period many birds stop off at the two wetland reserves to feed and rest, before continuing the lengthy journey to their European breeding grounds. Thanks to the funds raised today, schoolchildren visiting the reserves will be better able to enjoy these visitors, as well as other resident wildlife.
The group today saw different sights of the Maltese countryside, including many plants in bloom, tadpoles and frogs in the rock pools on the Zurrieq garrigue. The families also got to enjoy a strong passage of dragonflies, many of which were hovering over fields feeding on insects.
Barn Swallows, which are also the mascot for Klabb Huttaf, also put in an appearance much to the children’s delight, and throughout the walk Klabb Huttaf leaders were on hand to explain the different flora and fauna the group was seeing to the families.
“The children today donated these funds so that others may appreciate nature. The peak of bird migration is fast approaching and we encourage families to visit the nature reserves, go out into the countryside, and enjoy spring.” said Kathleen Mamo, Klabb Huttaf Coordinator.
The Ghadira Nature Reserve in Mellieha and Simar Nature Reserve in Xemxija are open to the public on weekends between 10:00 and 16:00.
Dinja Wahda is BirdLife Malta’s and Bank of Valletta’s environmental education program for primary schools, carried out in collaboration with the Directorate for Quality Standards in Education (DQSE).
Photo by Nadja Tschovikov.
