Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1248303
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MAY 2020 9 CULTURE NATURE One of the birds that began nesting in Malta in recent years is the pallid swift (rundun kannelli). As their name implies, swifts are fast-flying birds and the undisputed masters of the air – I mean, many birds feed while flying, many others also display and fool around in flight, but swifts are so at home in the air that they actually sleep on the wing! We get three regular mi- grant species of swift, two of which now also breed: common swift and pallid swift, both very similar but the latter slightly paler; they are also similar in habits, food and habitat. Pallid swifts nest in cracks in cliffs, caves or high buildings, seem- ing to prefer coastal areas. BirdLife Malta first confirmed pal- lid swifts nesting in 2009, and their breeding range is so far restricted to a few sites. Our pallid swifts spent the winter in Africa, and now they're back! Text: Victor Falzon Photo: Ray Galea 711. PALLID SWIFT 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 The coronavirus crisis reaches well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic's unfathomable health impacts, exposing systemic environmental, social-economic and gender injustices, and detrimental political causes and consequences. The dire consequences of the coronavirus are the result of the ever increasing concentration of wealth and the imposition of a neoliberal doctrine that sacrifices the preservation of life. We will continue to stand united with our allies to fight the injustices exposed and compounded by the coronavirus and build the world we need. GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 608 Find out more: www.foemalta.org/blog/covid-19-window/ WITHIN days of the public an- nouncement regarding the clo- sure of schools, Learning Works, a subsidiary of Vassallo Group, switched to online learning via Zoom; the globe's current go-to online communication platform. Learning Works immediately took action to ensure that class- es were carried on as normal and that the students' educational progress would be maintained even though a physical class- room was not a viable solution. Some of the courses that are undergoing live online teach- ing solutions include the Level 1 Award in Maltese as a For- eign Language and Cultural Orientation for non-natives to the island who are looking to integrate into society and im- prove their chances of employ- ment. Other courses include the Level 3 Award in Health- care as well as the Level 4 Ad- vanced Award in Healthcare. Such courses are intended for healthcare professionals who are looking to improve their skills in their vocation – a ca- reer path whose importance has become abundantly clear over the past months. Some other courses that are currently taking place online via Zoom include the Level 4 Award in Psychology for Sports and Exercise and the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management. Future courses that will be hosted online during this pe- riod of social distancing and caution include the Level 2 Award in Maltese as a Foreign Language and Cultural Orien- tation, the Level 4 Award in Mental Health Support and Care as well as the Level 4 Award in Nutrition for Sports and Physical Activity. Each course will be available online to ensure that all our students, current and prospec- tive, can improve their educa- tion while staying home and staying safe. As part of the online strat- egy, an online application and payment system has been launched in order to facilitate application and payment for online courses. Applying for courses can now all be handled online, including official docu- ment uploads that may be nec- essary for admission to a spe- cific course. By adapting to the 'new nor- mal' that we are about to expe- rience in life, Learning Works is providing opportunity and possibilities to learn from the comfort of your own home, within your schedule while fo- cusing on the most important aspects of your life: health, ed- ucation and happiness. Learn- ing Works aims to keep all stu- dents engaged and excited to learn more and improve their chances in their professional life. For more information kindly visit www.learningworks.edu. mt or call on 79584200 Learning Works launches online learning during COVID-19 pandemic