Today is International Day of Charity, a day to help others through voluntary and philanthropic activities and recognising the role it plays in our society and across nations.
Charities play an essential role in providing services, resources and advice to communities all over the world. In our small country, we have a number of voluntary organisations working to improve the lives of people and nature. As one of these organisations, BirdLife Malta works hard to conserve our precious natural areas and the wildlife that inhabits them so they can be enjoyed by all, now and in the future.
Għadira Nature Reserve, August 2019
We’ve seen many success stories over the year and have formed a wonderful and vibrant community of members and supporters who make all this work possible. We now manage an amazing 70 hectares of protected Natura 2000 sites to help conserve and protect local biodiversity. Our nature reserves are now visited by over 6,000 children each year as part of our nationwide education work; inspiring the next generation to appreciate and protect our natural world. In the last two years, we have also successfully rescued, rehabilitated and released over 300 injured birds that needed our help, meaning more can return to a life in the wild, supporting the long-term survival of different species. Not only that, but we now run projects in areas including air pollution, tackling wildlife crime, ecotherapy, and environmental education…not to mention our ongoing efforts in bird ringing, campaigning, and community engagement!
No matter how small, all of the support we receive counts and makes a real difference to nature and wildlife and Malta! So, how can you help BirdLife Malta this International Day of Charity?
Volunteering your time can be a great way to not only help a cause you care about, but also to make new friends with like-minded people. Our work depends on the ongoing support of volunteers who help us run our events, join us at our migration camps like Spring Watch and Raptor Camp, and also keep things ticking at our office! Volunteering can be an extremely rewarding experience and can help you gain a whole host of new skills you can take with you to use in the future.
Any donation, large or small, makes a huge difference in enabling us to continue our ongoing activities. With this support, we can continue to maintain our nature reserves so they are safe havens for wildlife, help us create resources for our education and ecotherapy work, as well as support our essential bird rescue and rehabilitation service.
Our members are amazing! Through a membership, not only do you help us continue and grow our efforts through your kind contribution, but you also become part of a wonderful community of nature enthusiasts! Our members receive exclusive updates, and discounts at special events where you get the chance to meet fellow environmentalists!
Each month, we hold or participate in a number of fun-filled events. Whether it is family picnics at our nature reserves, adventurous walks across the countryside or birdwatching masterclasses, there’s something for everyone. Events are a great way to learn a bit more about what we do, about our environment in Malta, and just enjoy some time in nature.
Much of our work wouldn’t be possible without people knowing about us and what we do! So don’t forget to like and follow us on social media and hit that share button! Helping us to raise awareness is an invaluable way for us to reach more people and spread the word.
Of course, it wouldn’t be International Day of Charity without saying a huge thank you to all of our supporters, members and volunteers that make all of this possible. We’re excited to see what else we can achieve together in future!
By Jessica Irwin, BirdLife Malta Fundraising Officer