Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1395902
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JULY 2021 11 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 772. Little Egret EVERY time I see a little egret (M. agrett abjad) two questions cross my mind. First: how does it keep its plumage so white? It's not as though the habitat helps – the shallow shores where these birds strut about fishing for small aquatic animals are often muddy. But if it hides its auto-cleaning secret, it certainly doesn't hide itself, which brings me to Question 2: What evolutionary benefit can that uber-whiteness give the bird? Unlike some of its cryptically plumaged cousins, the lit- tle egret stands out wherever it lands, and doesn't seem to mind, as it walks about as though predators didn't exist. The nonchalance is all a sham of course, because egrets are ever watchful, as any birdwatcher trying to inch closer for a better look or pic will tell you. One step too close, those fab white wings unfurl, and off it sails. Magnificent beast. Victor Falzon www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 664: If you would like to attend this free online event, regis- ter here: https://foemalta.org/event/permaculture/ Permaculture and Mental Health Event As part of the Europe in Solidarity Project, Friends of the Earth Malta is organising an online discussion on the concept of social permaculture with guest speaker Kinga Milankovics. How does permaculture support communities from a social point of view? More and more people are getting familiar with and pas- sionate about the environment and food aspects of permaculture. But is there more to it? Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation – www.foemalta.org/donate Appster Smartphone fun and smarter work AppDash €15.99 Apple, Andriod AppDash is an app manager that allows you to sort all your apps, associate tags to them, perform grouped actions (mass deletion or sharing of a list of apps, for example) but also to backup and restore them. AppDash also allows you to analyze, extract and install APK, APKS, XAPK and APKM files and gives you a lot of information as well as statistics on the use of your applications (the most or least used, screen time, ...). AppDash can go even further by giving you visibility on the manifest file, its components and metadata. TECH RETAILERS contact afarrugia@ mediatoday.com.mt A GOOD WEEK FOR Good Week/Bad Week Don't miss this A BAD WEEK FOR EIT Climate-KIC 'Journey' Date: From 26 July As part of the 'Journey' summer school, a public evening programme will show two short local documentaries on fisheries: 'Kannizzati Fishing' and 'The Giant Deep Reds', produced by local documentary makers Chris and Maurice Micallef. The EIT Climate-KIC 'Journey' is a Europe- wide summer school programme for master students, postgraduates and young professionals who want to create an impact to tackle global climate change. The summer school is hosted locally, for the first time in Malta, with students from across Europe, by the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and AquaBioTech Group from 26 July to 6 August 2021 For further information, check out the EIT Climate-KIC Malta Hub Facebook page Jeff Bezos. The billionaire founder of Amazon made a short journey to space, in the first crewed flight of his rocket ship, New Shepard. He was accompanied by Mark Bezos, his brother, Wally Funk, an 82-year-old pioneer of the space race, and an 18-year-old student. New York. The air quality in the Big Apple was the worst in the world earlier this week as cities across the eastern US were shrouded in smoke from wildfires thousands of miles away on the west coast. As air pollution in the city soared to eclipse Lima in Peru and Kolkata in India, state officials advised the vulnerable to avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Jeff Bezos thanked his employess and customers for paying his trip to space The eastern US was shrouded in cloud this week Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member