Clean-up at L-Aħrax (Environment Fair Part 1)

Joseph Caruana (Greenhouse)

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Environment Fair started off pretty early for Greenhouse: our members and friends, together with S-Cubed, started the week with an 'against all odds' clean-up at L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa. This activity sought to assist Birdlife Malta address the challenges that the rodent population poses on the Yelkouan Shearwater, a bird species which Malta is estimated to host 10% of its breeding population!! So what's up with the clean-up idea?

The team posing with the rubbish collected

It was the second of a series of such activities that we are organising in conjunction with the Science Student Society. Through these clean-ups we seek to (A) Promote sites of Ecological Importance [Previous site: Tal-Ballut] and (B) acting hands-on for a just cause.

Plenty of people attended the clean-up, despite the very bad weather and luckily for all of us the weather in Mellieha remained calm until we disbanded later in the day. Furthermore, we were given a presentation by Birdlife volunteer Nicholas Barbara on the Life+ project which they conducted on the site to protect the area and the bird species which make use of this area.

The activity progressed with the clean-up activity which accumulated mainly packaging waste.... some construction waste... and also metal junk. For both myself and my friends it's always impressive when taking part in these activities to see with one's own eyes how irresponsible we may tend to act just because we are either lazy or completely ignorant of what harm we are causing to these sites.

Nick Barbara (Birdlife) telling us about the Life+ project carried out at L-Aħrax

The activity finalised we all rallied to a bar in Mellieha frequented by the locals to share some drinks and get to know each other a bit better than the clean up could have permitted. A pint of beer anyone?

L-Aħrax Tal-Mellieħa, Cleanup & Tour of Yelkouan Shearwater (garnija) Conservation Site...

...on Sunday 20th March at L-Aħrax Tal-Mellieħa (Cross on the Map)

Event Desciption:
"After the success of S-cubed & Greenhouse’s last Clean up at tal-Ballut, we are organising another clean-up, this time at Ahrax in Mellieha together with Birdlife Malta. We feel that most effective way of raising awareness is by hands on experience. During clean-ups students see for themselves the state at which certain areas are and are given the opportunity to make a small difference. Moreover it helps people come to terms with the negative impact mankind has on the environment.

The site for this clean-up is a Natura 2000 site which is being managed by Birdlife Malta who are carrying out a conservation project on the Yelkouan Shearwater that breeds on the cliffs. We will be collaborating with Birdlife Malta as the clean-up will be part of a rat eradication project that shall be aimed to reduce predation on the Shearwater chicks and eggs.

Following the clean-up, we will also be given a tour of the Yelkouan Shearwater conservation site by members of Birdlife."

Hope to see you there! (See poster below for more details)