19th April 2014
Easter is typically a time for welcoming spring and to celebrate this special time of year BirdLife Malta provided the perfect setting to enjoy the wildlife in our very own nature reserve.
Over 30 families joined us at Is-Simar Nature Reserve in Xemxija to take part in our Easter Egg-citement activity. Amongst those attending were many staff and families from Bank of Valletta, all eager to make the most of a beautifully sunny morning.
Up first was an Easter egg hunt! And boy did it prove popular. The children were split into three ages categories and were unleashed to scour the area for chocolate eggs, all filling their loot bags close to the brim. I hope they didn’t eat the eggs all at once! 
Next on the agenda was a discovery trail around the Is-Simar reserve. The children had to follow the trail around the wetlands to find the answers to questions about the plant and animal species that can be found in the reserve in spring. All the children received a certificate for the completion of the trail, and hopefully learnt a lot about native Maltese species!
We were also joined by a very special guest today… BirdLife’s Klabb Huttaf mascot, Huttafa! Huttafa was there to cheer all the children on during the egg hunt, not that they needed much encouragement.
Is-Simar Nature Reserve is one of only two wetland reserves in Malta, and is a safe haven for many breeding and migrating birds during the spring hunting season. This year the reserve has already had breeding Cetti’s Warblers and Coots, and a variety of colorful birds passing through including Purple Heron and Yellow Wagtail. Today some of the children even managed to spot one of the many illusive chameleons resident around the trail.
The reserve offers the perfect setting for those wanting to see Maltese wildlife up close and in full protection, all year round. Is-Simar Nature Reserve is open on Sundays from 10:30 – 16:30, and is located on Triq il-Pwales in Xemxija. To find out more about the reserve you can like the Facebook page or check out the website.
A big thank you goes to Mark Gauci, Christian Tiller and Hannah Chisholm for organising such a fun event! And thanks also go to those who helped out on the day, ensuring this day was a big success. We can’t wait for the next event!