BirdLife Malta has just restored a scarce sand dune habitat in Għadira, home to a protected and extremely rare cricket.

The eNGO said on Thursday that prior to the building of the main road leading to Ċirkewwa, Għadira Bay boasted sand dunes similar to those at Ramla l-Ħamra in Gozo.

Unfortunately, in the 1970s, parts of these dunes, which ended up cut off from the beach as a result of the construction of the road, were heavily planted with non-indigenous tree species.

BirdLife Malta had long identified the restoration of this habitat as one of the
tasks on hand in managing the nature reserve, especially in view of the presence of the Burrowing Sand Cricket which, due to its status, enjoys added protection even at a European level. This species is extremely rare, with
numbers decreasing as a result of habitat loss.

The Burrowing Sand Cricket. Photo: BirdLife Malta

The restoration project started off with the removal of the non-indigenous trees, but thanks to the Farsons Foundation, which financed most of the works, the dream became reality since works could be concluded.

A boardwalk was also installed to grant visitors, including school children, access to the area.

The project was inaugurated earlier this week at an event held at the reserve in the presence of officials from the Farsons Foundation, who bought into BirdLife's vision and provided the necessary financial assistance.

People can now enjoy this unique sand dune habitat when they visit Għadira Nature Reserve, which is open on Mondays and Thursdays between 2pm and 6pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 4pm. Entrance to the reserve is free.