Children in many parts of the world spend more time indoors due to the rise of digital distractions such as mobile games, social media and artificial intelligence (AI) that have taken the world by storm. Maltese children are no exception. There’s hardly time for outdoor play in a predominantly risk-averse society with helicopter parenting on the rise.
This trend contrasts with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines recommending at least three hours of daily physical activity for children aged one to five and at least one hour of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for children aged between five and 17.
This lack of outdoor activity is affecting children’s physical, mental and social well-being. Franco Mercieca, a prominent local eye specialist, has noted an increase in cases of myopia linked to this sedentary, screen-centred lifestyle. Mental health experts are also prescribing outdoor time to alleviate stress, anxiety and other mental health issues.
The benefits of being outside extend beyond physical health, with nature playing a key role in socio-emotional, cognitive and sensory development.
In The Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv introduced the concept of ‘nature deficit disorder” (NDD) to explain the negative consequences of disconnecting from nature. Excessive time indoors, primarily spent in digital environments, can dull children’s natural sensory responses and leave them detached from the world around them. Furthermore, environmentalists are seriously worried that children who do not experience nature first-hand may not develop an appreciation for its importance.
So far, 54 schools have joined the programme, promoting biodiversity education and environmental responsibility across the curriculum
Malta, with its limited green spaces and urban sprawl, poses further challenges for outdoor education. However, the LEAF (Learning about Ecosystems And Forests) programme, introduced in Malta 12 years ago, has been working to reconnect students with nature. Run by Nature Trust FEE Malta and recognised by UNESCO, the Education for Sustainable Development international programme focuses on outdoor learning, helping students engage in environmental action and decision-making in their school communities.
So far, 54 schools have joined the programme, promoting biodiversity education and environmental responsibility across the curriculum, addressing several sustainable development goals (SDGs).
LEAF projects include protecting old forest remnants, removing invasive species from protected areas, reintroducing indigenous and endemic species, and transforming school spaces and village cores into green environments. By giving students hands-on opportunities to interact with nature, LEAF aims to foster an understanding of the key role biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth and empowers young people to make environmentally responsible choices in their daily lives.
LEAF is supported by the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Ambjent Malta and HSBC Malta Foundation.
Johann Gatt is LEAF national coordinator.
Sound Bites
Researchers are working on harnessing energy from plants to generate clean power, similar to harnessing the wind and sun for energy. It might seem like the stuff of sci-fi, but scientists have successfully used a succulent plant to create a living ‘bio-solar cell’ that runs on photosynthesis.
Researchers hope this (literal) green energy could enable the development of future sustainable technologies. They must work out how to ‘catch’ this current and harness the energy from all living cells.
To do this, the American Chemistry Society used the power of photosynthesis. Succulents are particularly water-dense, making them the ideal candidate for the experiment. They found the voltage of the single leaf was 0.28 volts.
Though this power is less than that of an alkaline battery, the researchers stress that connecting multiple leaves in series could increase the voltage.
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DID YOU KNOW?
• Despite the Maltese islands’ small size, over 40 orchid species are known to occur.
• A number of these are endemic species, such as the Maltese pyramidal orchid (MT: l-orkida piramidali ta’ Malta; SN: Anacamptis urvilleana)
• Some endemic reptilian subspecies are confined to islets, such as the one on Filfla (EN: Filfla wall lizard; MT: il-gremxula ta’ Filfla; SN: Podarcis filfolensis filfolensis);
• Freshwater ecosystems are locally very scarce. Consequently, freshwater organisms are also very limited in number, with the rarest being the Maltese freshwater crab (MT: il-qabru; SN: Potamon fluviatile lanfrancoi)
For more trivia, see: www.um.edu.mt/think.