Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1019057
| SUNDAY • 26 AUGUST 2018 maltatoday 13 FOR seven years, Science in the City, has been building bridges between researchers and artists, to organise a night of wonder. Dazzling artworks, inspired by Malta's most rel- evant research have become synonymous with the festival's magenta logo. Few really know that this is only made possible thanks to a small team of dedicated in- dividuals, a growing number of partners and hundreds of volunteers. Science in the City Project Manager Edward Duca said: "This year's festival promises to be spectacular with our theme that science is culture. We have been working very hard build- ing a spectacular programme over two years with over 80 partners and an estimated 30,000 visitors, we really need all the help we can get. We're looking for enthusiastic people of all ages and from all sectors of society, to join us on the 28 September and be part of this national need." Volunteers can choose to be part of a number of opportu- nities on the night. These include welcoming and ushering visitors, con- ducting research and evalu- ation, communicating in- formation about the events, photography, and more. Be- ing a volunteer at Science in the City means developing new skill sets, thanks to train- ing sessions set up by the or- ganisers, the voluntary work itself and by meeting interest- ing professionals from differ- ent fields. People interested in being involved in Science in the City can do so by joining the volunteer programme. It truly will be a memorable experi- ence! Anyone interested in vol- unteering with Science in the City, can apply online at h t t p : / / b i t . l y / v o l u n t e e r s i t c . For more information, peo- ple can email on info@scien- ceinthecity.org.mt or follow Science in the City, Malta on Facebook to stay tuned. CULTURE ENVIRONMENT We call it 'alka' but it's not an alga at all. Neptune grass is a flow- ering plant and therefore more closely related to your petunias than to all the algae of the sea. True, its flowers are not showy and are rarely seen, but it flowers and seeds like a regular plant, only it does all this at sea. An endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, neptune grass (or posidonia) forms large swathes – known as 'meadows' – which are extremely important breeding habitat for many fish, crustaceans (crabs, etc.) and cephalopods (octo- pus, etc.). Our waters are blessed with good patches of posidonia but pollution, dredging, certain fishing methods, turbidity and careless anchoring constantly deplete and degrade these under- water forests. Thankfully this species is protected under EU law so we too are obliged to protect our posidonia meadows. It is thanks to their presence that many areas around the Islands are marine Natura 2000 sites. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the EU's agricultural policy, is a behemoth of rules and regula- tions. It is one of the bloc's largest (and oldest) policies, taking up to 41% of the EU's budget in 2016. This may sound distant and technical, but it is the policy that not only determines what is on European citizens' plates but is also one of the major drivers of change on European landscapes, rural life, nature and biodiversity. Over the past 50 years it has evolved to meet various challenges. With the Commission's proposals for the fu- ture of the policy released on 1st June, the policy now lies at a crossroads. Being a policy formed a mere 12 years after World War 2, the original aim of the CAP was to ensure that food shortages were consigned to his- tory. This meant market support to ensure certain levels of production. Eventually this resulted in produc- tion surpluses and through a suc- cession of reforms, the CAP shifted from market support to supporting farmers and decoupling this support from how much farmers produce. The final evolution included 'green- ing' measures and aimed to ensure that farmers are seen as providers of services to European citizens by pro- tecting tradition and rural landscapes and safeguarding biodiversity. (to be continued) 623. NEPTUNE GRASS Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 526: Find out more and register at www.foemalta.org/nature Text Victor Falzon Photo Desirée Falzon Call for people to join the volunteer programme for Science in the City Future of CAP: EU policies on your plate Be a part of Malta's biggest science and arts festival: Science in the City is looking for people to join their volunteer programme for 2018