Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1240944
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 APRIL 2020 6 CULTURE NATURE NOT all birds are spectacular. The small perching birds of Europe are particularly lacking in distinctive features, and you need patience, experience, often a good ear and binoculars to tell most of them apart. But then, that's part of the lure of discovering nature. One such bird is the common whitethroat (bekkafik aħmar), a regular spring visitor to Malta, stopping for a few days before resuming its migration to mainland Europe to nest. It's a slim little beauty, mostly grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts – don't be fooled by the Maltese name, the 'aħmar' is just a reference to a bit of richer brown on the wings! But for all its drabness, watching this active little fellow quietly but fervently 'working' a mallow plant for aphids is a joy. To me it's al- so a little reassurance that some ecosystems are hopefully still intact, despite the terrible human onslaught on nature. Text: Victor Falzon Photo: Raymond Vella 709. COMMON WHITETHROAT 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 605 Try our delicious meat-free recipes: www.foemalta.org/recipes As from tomorrow why don't you go 'Meatless Monday'? Eat more vegetarian/vegan dishes. Instead of meat, use other protein sources such as legumes like beans, chickpeas, lentils or soy. Go local and support Maltese farmers and if not available try the next best option of sourcing from regional and the EU for alternatives. If you don't know where to buy your fresh local veggies from, check out the Malta Farm Map on our website. https://foemalta.org/maltafarmmap/ SUNDAY 3 May will see Malta's festival of gratitude, in support of the health care workers, other frontliners and volunteers who are involved in the fight against the medical and social problems brought on by COVID-19. Inspired by Lady Gaga's 'One World: Together at Home' con- cert, the 'Festival of Gratitude and Inspiration' aims to provide entertainment for everyone at home, while showing gratitude to all the front liners. Malta To- gether's founder Mark Wein- gard reached out to Ira Losco and Joseph Calleja to support this initiative and both of them embraced the idea wholeheart- edly. "This virtual festival in associ- ation with Malta Together is our way to say thank you to all those on the front line, the nurses the doctors and the supermarket staff, literally being there day after day for the benefit of the whole country. This is our way of saying thank you to all of you and I do hope you enjoy the per- formance," Calleja said. Ira Losco said she was very excited to help raise the spirits of the people of Malta and to express her gratitude to all the frontliners. "Through this concert, we will raise awareness of all the fantas- tic work that is being performed by voluntary organisations, from providing food to vulner- able families to assisting people battling fear and depression. We will also be spreading the mes- sage that we must stay home to stay safe, while ensuring that we keep busy and happy," she said. The production of the festi- val is being coordinated by the organisers of X-Factor Malta (Mint Media), Jagged House and Malta Together. The line-up for the Festival includes various artists and per- sonalities who have agreed to be part of this event, including Joseph Calleja, Ira Losco, Marc Storace, the Malta National Orchestra, Tribali, Ivan Grech (Winter Moods), Michela, The Travellers, Red Electrick, Em- ma Muscat, The New Victori- ans, Destiny, Matthew James, Owen Leuellen, Il-Lapes, Gaia, Kevin Paul, Djun, Amber, Pamela Bezzina, F.A.I.T.H., Nicole Frendo, Justin Shorfid and Glen Vella. The festival, which will be aired on TVM1 on Sunday 3 May at 21:00 and streamed on- line in English at the same time on Maltatogeter.com and the Malta Together Facebook page, will be a heart-warming show filled with music from some of Malta's favourite musicians as well as special appearances from several international personal- ities and local frontline heroes. Everyone involved in produc- ing the event, including the per- forming artists, are doing so on a voluntary basis and the direct costs associated with producing the event will be financed by the event sponsors: Iniala Group, Betsson Group and Brown's Pharmacy. For more information vis- it https://www.maltatogether. com/a-festival-of-gratitude Malta Together: 'A festival of gratitude and inspiration' to honour frontliners