Date: Sunday, 3 March 2024
Time: 08:30โ13:00
Location: Picnic area outside Simar Nature Reserve (meeting point)
It’s time for BirdLife Malta’s most popular annual fundraising event: Walk for Nature 2024!
Organized again jointly by the BirdLife Malta education and events teams, with assistance from our Events & Activities Group, this fundraising event celebrates spring. Schoolchildren, parents, and nature enthusiasts gather to challenge themselves by walking, raising awareness and funds for the conservation of nature.
Goal
The aim is to raise funds for BirdLife Malta’s education and conservation efforts.
This year, we aspire to generate enough funds to purchase a GPS tracker for rehabilitated birds and professional binoculars for events.
Tagging released birds is crucial, providing insights into migration behaviour and essential scientific data on birds previously shot in Malta. Each tracker costs a minimum of โฌ1,000.
Moreover, the events team requires new binoculars to enhance the accessibility of birdwatching for participants. These are priced at least โฌ200 each.
Route
The 2024 route will be approximately 7 km long, starting and ending near Simar Nature Reserve in Xemxija. The walk begins at 8:30 am at the picnic area outside the nature reserve, offering an easy and accessible route for all ages, including families with children.
The circular route will take us through Pwales Valley, passing from near St Ann Chapel and heading to L-Imbordin hamlet, then on to Miลผieb Woodland Public Reserve, Bajda Ridge on the outskirts of Manikata hamlet, heading to Manikata Aqueduct passing through agricultural fields, back to the pathway through the Pine Trees of Miลผieb, down to the megalithic remains on to a Heritage Area, and finally down the old Roman Road to Xemxija Bay.
It’s an easy-to-moderate walk, but caution is advised as it could be slippery if wet. Children under 8 years must be accompanied by adults. Bicycles and scooters are not recommended!
Prizes
Each participant will receive a goody bag, while participants raising at least โฌ10 also get a colouring book, โฌ20 allows a choice between two books, and โฌ30 earns a wagtail or shearwater pin badge.
The goody bag will include our new LIFE PanPuffinus! comic book created by Daniel Collin, a straw set and a pencil bag sponsored by the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Regeneration of the Grand Harbour’s ClimateOn Malta campaign.
A prize-giving ceremony at the picnic area outside Simar Nature Reserve will include awards for the biggest fundraisers:
- 1st prize: Attend the release of a rehabilitated bird on Comino for one child accompanied by one adult.
- 2nd prize: Free participation in one of our annual Shearwater Boat Trips for one child accompanied by one adult.
- 3rd prize: A nestbox and bird identification book.
The ClimateOn Malta campaign is a nationwide public awareness campaign that highlights the benefits of a low-carbon society and promotes climate action. The campaign emphasizes the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which was initiated to reduce pollution within the nation and pave the road towards achieving a resilient climate and a low-carbon future by the year 2050. Find out more by following the Facebook and Instagram pages ClimateOn Malta.
Social media campaign
Participate in the campaign by:
- Creating a creative video on “The importance of bird conservation and their habitat in Malta,” encouraging donations for conservation and adding this link: https://birdlifemalta.org/donate.
- Upload it to your Facebook page.
- Tag the BirdLife Malta Facebook account.
- Add the hashtag #W4N24.
The winner will be determined based on the maximum number of reposts during the award ceremony. The prize includes a set for chemical experiments and a nestbox.
Registration
To book, click on the button below to fill in the google form, providing all the details requested.
Please also download this sponsor sheet and remember to bring it along with you on the day together with any money you collect. Give the sponsor sheet to children so they can raise money and have the chance to win a prize.
Participation is free for those who raise funds. The event is open to all and we call on BirdLife Malta members and their friends, together with schools, to join in.
If you have any questions email us on [email protected] or call us on 2134 7645 during office hours.
Join us for Walk for Nature 2024, supporting conservation efforts and enjoying a day filled with nature and community spirit!
