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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 NOVEMBER 2021 13 ALMANAC Fast art Nature Notebook 789. Scaly-Stalked Puffball FOR centuries mushrooms have been lumped with the plants but in recent decades they have been found to be so different that they now boast a kingdom of their very own. Mushrooms love humid, shady conditions, like forest floors. Now we don't have much for- est or shade in Malta but nonetheless we have hundreds of fungi species. Mushrooms can be tiny and inconspicuous, others larger and showy. One rare species is the strange scaly-stalked puffball, or sandy stiltball fungus. Maybe authorities haven't settled on one suitably name for it in English, but when first recorded in Malta at Is-Simar nature reserve in 2003 we only took one look and chris- tened it musmar in Maltese! Well it does look rather like a large rusty nail sticking out of the ground. Some are growing at Foresta 2000 nature reserve this autumn too. Victor Falzon, Desirée Falzon www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 681 Subscribe to our newsletter to keep updated on our cam- paigns https://foemalta.org/get-involved/newsletters-signup/ Friends of the Earth Malta at COP26 This year in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12 marked the 26th COP, with more than 30,000 registered participants – from gov- ernment and company representatives to civil society participants, NGOs and journalists. Together with activists and organisations from all over the world, Friends of the Earth Malta was there to support the movement towards a socially just and environmentally sound future. On Saturday, November 13, the conference came to an end and pub- lished the final 11-page document, called the Glasgow Climate Pact. This pact does not meet the necessary measures for a just and sustain- able change that FoE Malta demanded. Nevertheless, FoE Malta will continue their work to fight for their vision and achieve climate justice not only in Malta, but on a global scale. 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 Don't miss this Pictures at an Exhibition 27 November 2021 Place: Hilton Malta The MPO, under the baton of Sergey Smbatyan, presents an exhilarating programme performing Mussorgsky's masterpiece Pictures at an Exhibition, which takes the audience through a myriad of emotions brought on by the various artworks connected by a promenade. Famed German oboist Albrecht Mayer features in Elgar's only existing movement of his suite for oboe and strings Soliloquy, followed by Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto, considered as one of the greatest concertos in the oboe repertoire. This concert is presented with the support of MAPFRE MSV Life and MeDirect. Miriam Galea Bear Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Medium: Acrylic Instagram: @galeamiriam Website: www.miriamgalea.com Illustrated works by Malta Community of Illustration members