Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1256426
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 JUNE 2020 6 CULTURE ENVIRONMENT A green roof has recently been installed on Palazzo Falson in Mdina in an in- novative new collaboration between the Palazzo, local environmental NGO Friends of the Earth Malta, and Vivac- ity, which is developing the green roofs concept in Malta. Its completion ties in appropriately with both World Environ- ment Day and World Green Roof Day, which are being celebrated this week. Known already for its contribution to Malta's long history of honey produc- tion – most recently at the hands of previous residents Captain Olof Goll- cher and his wife Nella who had a well- known love of bee-keeping and growing crops – Palazzo Falson is taking its sup- port of pollinators to the next level with the new green roof. "Bees and other pollinators are in- creasingly under threat from human ac- tivities," explains Martin Galea de Gio- vanni, Director at Friends of the Earth Malta. "Bees help produce three-quarters of our most vital crops worldwide, yet the outlook for bees is quite bleak. Research shows that pollinator-friendly gardens in urban areas offer a life-saving refuge to pollinators and biodiversity in gener- al." Mimicking the Maltese ecosystem, the green roof at the Palazzo has been de- signed using indigenous plants such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, wild daisies and succulents, to support the more than 100 wild bee species in Malta, in- cluding the endemic subspecies of the honeybee. The green roof at Palazzo Falson is one of two pollinator-friendly urban gardens that have been installed in the new pro- ject, since another can now be found at the Julian Manduca Green Resource Centre in Floriana. The project, which has also been partially funded by the SIS Fund managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS), incorpo- rates fun and innovative workshops for children at Palazzo Falson which teach and emphasise the importance of polli- nators and gardens. Through the new pollinator haven on its green roof, Palazzo Falson is mean- while the first museum in Malta to offer its visitors a combination of heritage, bi- odiversity, and social wellbeing. "Green roofs are especially beneficial in Malta, as they not only allow bees and pollina- tors to do what they do best, but also of- fer mental health benefits to us humans, especially on our densely-populated is- lands where green spaces are limited," Vivacity founder Vanya Veras added. "Plus, green roofs act as insulation, with the plants cooling buildings in the summer and helping to trap the warmth in winter, as well as reducing airborne dust and air pollution, since particulates are caught up on the leaves and in the substrate of the ecosystem. They also reduce noise, boost energy efficiency in the building, reduce flooding and com- bat climate change. So, in Malta particu- larly – green roofs are a win-win!" More information about Palazzo Fal- son in Mdina, including museum open- ing hours, may be found online at www. palazzofalson.com. Further details regarding green roofs and walls in Malta may be found at www.viva-city.com, while the impor- tance of bees and pollinators is explored by Friends of the Earth Malta at www. foemalta.org/beecause or www.foemal- ta.org/beesaver. Green is the buzzzzz- word at Palazzo Falson A pollinator-friendly green roof has been installed on the historic palazzo in a new project in collaboration with Vivacity and Friends of the Earth Malta The green roof at Palazzo Falson is one of two pollinator-friendly urban gardens that have been installed in the new project