BirdLife Malta together with Bank of Valletta today hosted the first groups of school children at the Ghadira and Is-Simar nature reserves as part of a week long celebration for World Wetlands Day.

The partners in education, BirdLife Malta and Bank of Valletta, have this year invited primary schools to visit the only two wetlands in the Maltese islands as part of the Dinja Wahda education program.

“To show children the importance of wetlands we shall be giving special interactive presentations and guided walks through the reserves to compliment our education programme Dinja Wahda.” said Nicolette Falzon, BirdLife’s Dinja Wahda Schools Coordinator “This is an excellent opportunity for schoolchildren to appreciate this ecosystem and celebrate World Wetlands Day.”

Wetland is one of the most biologically diverse of habitats and is a rare ecosystem in Malta. Malta joined the Ramsar convention in 1989, designating the two nature reserves of Ghadira and Is-Simar as Wetlands of International Importance. The reserves are important staging posts for migrating birds and are also primary habitat for certain species, such as the Little Ringed Plover which only breeds at Ghadira nature reserve in Malta. Both reserves form part of an international network of wetlands.

BirdLife Malta also extended the invitation to visit the Ghadira and Is-Simar (in Xemxija) nature reserves to the general public. The reserves will be open to public on the weekends between 10.00 and 16.00. Guided walks through the reserve will be held every hour. Entrance is free of charge and no booking is required.

Permalink: BirdLife and BOV invite schools to celebrate World Wetlands Day