Funds boost for Wied Ghollieqa project

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) yesterday presented a cheque for Lm15,000 to Nature Trust for the conservation of Wied Ghollieqa as part of their Environment Initiative Private Partnership (EIPP) programme.

Environment Minister George Pullicino and MEPA chairman Andrew Calleja were taken round the valley close to the University at Tal-Qroqq by Nature Trust officials and shown the work carried out by the organisation's volunteers.

They were told how the EIPP helped the project to proceed quicker than planned and Nature Trust president Vincent Attard said the conservation of the Ghollieqa valley was started by the organisation 15 years ago.

Through the NGO's efforts, degradation in the valley was halted and it is now being restored - the project is costing more than Lm24,000.

With the EIPP funds, Nature Trust was able to restore more than half of the rubble walls, plant thousands of trees, restore a rural room and start work on a visitors centre aimed at environmental education.

Currently, more than four groups of children visit the valley each week where they learned about the natural environment and receive hands-on experience with nature.

Nature Trust hoped that the centre would be ready by March so as to complement educational activities in the valley and also aid the creation of more public awareness in nature protection and appreciation of the natural environment, the Maltese countryside, birds and animals, Mr Attard said.

Malta needed a mentality change towards environmental protection, he added.

Mr Calleja explained that MEPA was using planning gain funds to help environmental projects in the area. The EIPP funding for this project was the result of the Mater Dei Hospital extension planning gain.

In this way MEPA, in partnerships with other groups, was contributing towards natural and cultural protection. Mr Pullicino said that this was one way how MEPA and NGOs could work together to make a difference.

Another project with Nature Trust and organisations was to start at Xrobb l-Ghagin, where the abandoned and vandalised area of the former Deutsche Welle relay station was to be turned into a national park for the public to enjoy, he said.

Following the presentation, a tree planting ceremony was held by Nature Trust to mark the beginning of Arbor Week. Trees for the event were sponsored by the Institute of Health Care (IHC).

Grace Jaccarini, who was representing the institute, said the IHC considered health and the environment to go together, as a clean environment meant better health for all.