Photos

The Gardener’s Friend

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Kieran Galea  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, website
filed under Photos

The Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a regular visitor to the Maltese Islands. This bird species is one of the few bird species in which both male and female have very similar plumage – with the particular orange breast and face. Its top parts from its head downwards is usually of a greyish brown colour while its belly is white. It mainly feeds on insects and even worms and it hunts during both night and day.For a very long time it was considered to be a gardener’s friend and it was not harmed due to various legends!



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The Maltese Fresh Water Crab

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Craig Cassar, Luca Micallef, Shaun Isherwood  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, website
filed under Photos

The Maltese Fresh Water Crab (Potamon fluviatile ssp. lanfrancoi) is one of many endemic endangered species on the Maltese Islands. In fact it is only found in a few localities in Malta and Gozo. Its habitat usually consists of mud found along fresh water streams and since fresh water is quite scarce, such habitats are continuously decreasing. In the picture, the crab is literally trying to hide by camouflaging itself well with its surroundings, cautiously waiting for its prey to come along! Although it can feed on frogs, this specie also a scavenger.



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The Alien Cape Sorrel

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Kyle Fenech  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

The dazzlingly yellow flower which is commonly seen in the local countryside is locally known as Qarsu or Haxixa Ingliza, or scientifically as Oscalis pes-caprae is an alien plant species that was accidently brought over to the Maltese Islands nearly two hundred years ago. It is called alien since it is not a native plant of the Maltese islands. The Cape Sorrel as it is commonly known in English has however not only managed to survive but also to take over quite a bit of our countryside since it has found excellent climatic conditions to grow in. Although invasions of alien species can also occur naturally, more often than not it is the rate at which they spread and take over the local habitats which is of concern. The Cape Sorrel is one such case!



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Wind Energy

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Irvine Sultana  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

The Xarolla Windmill has been recently restored. Locals are very proud of this architectural testimonial which showcases a small yet important part of the life of our hard working ancestors. Our small island is decorated with such beauty and our people and local councils are working to keep it well. In this world, bigger countries have less historical features than we do so decreasing vandalism will enable more citizens to enjoyed such architectural gems. The windmill is a perfect of example which utilizes a natural renewable resource to work – wind. Wind energy used to make the palettes turn and these in turn rotated a simple gear wheel within the windmill itself. This was connected to circular plates between which wheat could be placed and then ground to produce flour and semolina. It is a sustainable practice which does not impinge on the already threatened energy industry.



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We never know the worth of water till the well runs dry

submitted by The Archbishop's Seminary : Nick Mifsud  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos

Water is indeed a precious resource locally. Since most of the rain usually falls between October and March, its scarcity during the summer months creates a huge quandary for local farmers. The picture was taken after an abrupt storm but it can be easily noticed that the water run-off is huge. Unfortunately a large amount of run off rain water ends being lost since it finds its way back to the sea. It would be great if more reservoirs could be built, maybe under new apartment blocks in order to make better use of this resource. This the way forward for sustainability.



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Adaptation at its best

submitted by The Archbishop' s Seminary : Christian Falzon, Julian Seguna, Keith Borg, Kyle Farrugia, Malcolm Agius  for 11-14
dissemination(s): newspaper, school magazine, website
filed under Photos

The chameleon – Chamaleo chameleon, is an introduced reptile, in the sense that this specie was not originally found here. It has however adapted greatly to the local habitats. The typical habitats in which it lives are usually maquis, steppes and garigue. Known also as a Mediterranean species, it can also be found in specific areas in the South of Europe and also in Northern Africa. This type of species is different from other chameleons found around the world because it has an upward crest on the back part of its head. Although chameleons are famously known for the way they change their colour to camouflage themselves, in reality the colour changes because of varying body temperature. Chameleons eat insects such as mosquitoes and flies so they are very beneficial. To eat, they shoot out their sticky tongue further than the length of their head and body combined!



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Waste

submitted by GOZO COLLEGE ZEBBUG PRIMARY : Daniela Zammit  for 7-10
dissemination(s): school media
filed under Photos

Waste is unwanted material. However, if we recycle this unwanted material we make Malta’s and Gozo’s environment look better. There are several ways how one can recycle unwanted material. For example the grey bag, and the bring-in-sites. They grey bags are collected door-to-door, and the bring-in sites are found in every town. Recyclable materials include paper, metal, glass and plastic, which are taken to Sant’ Antnin Waste Treatment Plant. The waste generated from homes in the black bags, are collected door-to-door and are taken to Sant’ Antnin Waste Treatment Plant. Another type of waste is the organic, which originate from plants and animals. This can produce compost in the long run. Civic Amenity Sites are there for bulky waste such as tyres and fridges. There are five civic amenity sites in Malta and Gozo. By recycling, we are improving Malta by having a better environment and a better lifestyle.



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The 3 R’s

submitted by GOZO COLLEGE ZEBBUG PRIMARY : Angelique Portelli  for 7-10
dissemination(s): school media
filed under Photos

Waste, and how we choose to handle it, affects our world’s environment. The environment is everything around you including the air, water, land, plants, and man-made things. You need a healthy environment for your own health and happiness. Effective waste management is very important to everyone. The waste we create has to be carefully controlled. This should be done to make sure that it does not harm the environment and our health. Waste is anything we throw away or get rid of, that doesn’t get used. We should learn to practice the three R’s of waste management: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.



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Waste in our village

submitted by GOZO COLLEGE ZEBBUG PRIMARY : Ylenia Marie Xerri  for 7-10
dissemination(s): school media
filed under Photos

While I was walking around my village I saw a lot of litter and waste. I saw a lot of plastic bottles mixed with unusable stones. Some people are harming the environment because they are lazy to go and throw rubbish in the bins. Along my walk I saw a rusted tank. This tank is very dangerous because people and cars can have an accident. This tank can be recycled into different things. When we do recycling we help to keep our earth healthy and green. When we throw litter out in the street we increase pollution and we have a bad image of our village.



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Rubbish around Żebbuġ countryside

submitted by GOZO COLLEGE ZEBBUG PRIMARY : Gabriella Mallia  for 7-10
dissemination(s): school media
filed under Photos

Some people instead of throwing the rubbish in the bins or skips, throw rubbish in the countryside. Instead asking for the free bulky refuse service for old mattresses, sofas, car parts, they throw them beside the skips or in a valley. If we throw plastic in the sea we can kill a lot of fish, birds and turtles. The rubbish makes bad smell and bring a lot of insects like flies and mosquitoes. The rubbish can hurt animals like dogs and cats because when they try to eat from the cans their mouth can get stuck in it. To have a beautiful countryside people have to stop throwing rubbish in it and learn to recycle more. Waste can bring disease to people and animals. If people throw the waste in the countryside they will be polluting our fields. It isn’t a nice thing to see waste in our countryside.



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