Promoting environmental awareness among children

The Biological Conservation Research Foundation - BICREF - will be holding an environmental awareness campaign for children next Friday.

Together with the Eden Leisure Group and Farsons, BICREF will be introducing the film Blue Planet at the IMAX theatre with its own slide show and a talk on the beauty and needs of the local biodiversity.

"Fully aware of the local and global needs to protect and respect our nature, BICREF looks forward to contributing towards increasing local appreciation of the precious creation and natural complexity we are all living in," conservation biologist Adriana Vella said.

One such effort this summer was a roving presentation at summer schools and other public focal points.

BICREF said it warmly welcomed the bishops' recent pastoral letter on the need to preserve the environment and to ensure it was effectively protected.

The Maltese, Dr Vella said, needed to ensure that local natural and environmental resources were safeguarded and put high on any government's agenda for action.

Other BICREF awareness activities include a photographic exhibition of marine biodiversity in Maltese waters, video footage of the diverse and interesting sea life and talks to children and adults of all ages aimed at increasing the appreciation of the need to protect local biodiversity through conservation areas' monitoring and effective management.