Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1467738
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 MAY 2022 9 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 814. Mammoth Wasp WE have many species of wasp, ranging in size from the really tiny to, well, to the mammoth wasp! It really is massive as wasps go – it's the largest in Europe in fact. One look at this hairy black apparition will send most people scurrying. But for all its menacing looks – especially the fabulous orange-headed female, which is larger than the male – it's not particularly aggressive. I regularly approach these beauties to photograph them bingeing on flower nectar and have never been once molested. In Maltese it's known as qerd iż-żaqquq, "żaqquq" presumably referring to the larva of the rhinoceros beetle which the female wasps hunt out, sting, paralyze and lay their egg on, in this way securing a food supply for their young when they hatch. Nasty, I know. Let's just be thankful we're not rhino beetles. Victor Falzon www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 702: Order your copy of the Uċuħ tar-raba' book https:// foemalta.org/ecoshop Uċuħ tar-raba' : Faces of the Field photo exhibitio Who are the faces behind Maltese produce? Friends of the Earth Malta's photo exhibition Uċuħ tar-raba' launched in mid May at Valletta City Gate. The exhibition is a collaboration with award-winning photographer Darrin Zammit Lupi and showcases ten Maltese farmers, who were chosen for their environmentally-friendly farming practices. Through the photographs and QR codes leading to interviews, visitors can learn more about these farmers and their passion for agriculture, which, in the face of several struggles, serves as the fuel that keeps them going. The exhibition will travel to Sliema next, where you can find it between 26 and 29 May, where you can see it at the Sliema promenade at Għar id-Dud. There will be a guided tour of the exhibi- tion on Saturday 28 May at 10:00. The full interviews with farmers and the exhibition photographs will be available in a printed limited edition photography booklet which can be pur- chased after 17 May, from the Friends of the Earth Malta online shop. 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 ATROPHIA Start date: 20 May Place: Christine X Gallery, Tigne Street During his regular visits to Wied Qirda in ĦaĦ-ĦebbuĦ (Malta) and after a period of heavy storms, the artist Rupert Cefai couldn't help but notice the destructive effect water had on this environment. Although water is a necessity for life, like everything else, too much of it also has its downfall. This destructive process has inspired the artist to produce a body of abstract works which will be exhibited in this solo exhibition titled ATROPHIA. The exhibition is being held at Christine X Art Gallery between 20th May and 10th June 2022, from Monday to Saturday 10am-1pm, 4-7pm. Entrance is free. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Four Seasons Date: 21 May Place: Teatru Manoel, The Four Seasons by Vivaldi and Piazzolla come together in a lively amalgamation of Baroque music and tango. Originally scored for quintet, Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires honour Vivaldi's timeless violin concertos with enthralling violin solos inspired by the musical traditions of his native Argentina. This concert is presented with the support of MAPFRE MSV Life, MeDirect and Hilton Malta A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK Actor Ncuti Gatwa will take over from Jodie Whittaker as the star of Doctor Who. The 29-year-old will become the 14th Time Lord on the popular science fiction show, and the first person of colour to play the lead role. Actor Robin Parkinson, known for his roles in TV sitcoms like 'Allo 'Allo! and as the narrator of children's show Button Moon, has died at the age of 92. Parkinson played Monsieur Ernest Leclerc, a regular in 'Allo 'Allo! in 1991 and 92. Scottish actor Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, is best known for starring in Netflix's sitcom Sex Education. Parkinson played Monsieur Ernest Leclerc, a regular in 'Allo 'Allo! in 1991 and 92.