Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1062629
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 DECEMBER 2018 CULTURE ENVIRONMENT BACK in the Sixties the Beatles had a song called Blackbird, in which McCartney's guitar is interspersed with the fluty notes of a singing blackbird – my first experience of this bird's lovely melody! We don't get Blackbirds (M. malvizz iswed) all year round here and neither do they nest in our garden hedges as they do in the UK – these birds prefer somewhere where peo- ple cherish trees more than we do. So unfortunately we get to miss their best musical efforts, which they perform during the nesting season. But we do get these dark songsters pass- ing through on migration, and some also spend the winter here in wooded places like Buskett, skulking in trees or look- ing for worms on the ground. As for physical description, well the name says it all: males are deep black throughout (females browner) with a rich yellow bill for contrast. 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 542: Give your friends and family a wonderful gift that's good for the planet www.foemalta.org/blog/christmashampers18/ Text Victor Falzon Photo Mike Downham 543 - WHAT'S IN SEASON 639. BLACKBIRD FOLLOWING its official inauguration on 10 November, MUŻA successfully hosted the in- ternational conference of the Network of Eu- ropean Museum Organisations (NEMO) and a series of events from the Mahalla Festival held for the first time in Malta. MUŻA is a €10 million project, partly financed by the European Union, and partly by the Euro- pean Regional Development Fund - European Structural and Investment Funds 2014 – 2020. It is also the flagship project for Valletta's 2018 European Capital of Culture title which shall carry forward the legacy of this prestigious title. The chosen name MUŻA is an acronym for MUŻew tal-Arti (Art Museum) and also the Maltese word for inspiration, whereas the dot over the z (Ż) emphasizes the exclusive Mal- tese-alphabet character. The name relates also to the muses which were mythological crea- tures from classic antiquity inspiring creativity. MUŻA offers a unique experience. The public can explore the extensive collections on dis- play inspired by a careful selection of stories presented in four main sections. The historic architecture, purposely restored to house this new museum concept, is one other experience in its own right. The MUŻA experience also includes a caf- eteria and restaurant facilities, a special dining room, a tourist information office, and a con- cept store with quality products. As from today, MUŻA shall be open regular- ly for visitors and the public in general as per Heritage Malta's regular museum hours, from 9am to 5pm (last entry at 4.30pm). Restaurant, cafeteria and catering facilities will be open be- tween 8am and 10pm. The main courtyard is a public space accessible to all. More information is available at Heritage Malta's website www.heritagemalta.org MUZA opens for public