Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1479276
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 SEPTEMBER 2022 11 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 832. Moray Eel MANY fish come in unusual forms. One decidedly unfish-like group is the eels, of which a handful of species occur in the Med. These snake-like fish are largely grey affairs, with one notable exception: the moray eel (M. morina). With its eye-catching mottled brown- and-gold livery, the moray eel is always a highlight for the snorkeller. Older individuals tend to venture deeper, but young morays often stay in shallow coastal waters, skulking among rocks and reefs or hiding in holes or under boulders with their head sticking out. With their stern hypnotic stare and toothy mouth often held half open, morays always look rather fierce. They are also quite territorial and if threatened (or harpooned!) they will dart out and bite. But they are also curious, and with care can be approached for a respectful, mutual gaze! Project Pancake Flora- Plants and Nature Conveying Augmented Knowledge for Everyone It may be painfully thorny and impenetrable but the Bramble also yields the softest of fruits – blackberries. Ripe at this time of year, they are a treat for both animals (especially birds) as well as foraging humans. Its dense green cover creates the perfect shaded habitat sought especially by the Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti) whose name in Maltese indicates this preference as a nesting site – Bagħal tal-Għollieq. At a time when every- where is parched by the long summer drought it is always a refreshing find to come across its delicious berries. Rubus species are featured both in the 100 Plants to Feed the Bees: Provide a Healthy Habitat to Help Pollinators by The Xerxes Society, as a fantastic pollinator plant for nu- merous bee species, as well as in FoEM's own Foraging Guide. You may be tempted to try out the suggested recipe for a yummy Blackberry and Apple Sponge Cake as detailed in the guidebook. Victor Falzon www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 720: If you are interested in the books mentioned in this article, you can find them here: https://www.libib.com/u/ foemalta https://foemalta.org/donate/ 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 Living your Beautiful Sustainable Life 20 September 2022 Place: The Veg Box @ The Farmoury in Manikata, The event will consist of a manifestation workshop, and inspirational talk with the participation of guests relaying their personal story, and a short interactive discussion about the role of food and fashion in our lives. Following, a 'surplus' dinner will be served; a hearty and healthy vegetarian meal prepared with fresh, tasty, unsold pesticide-free produce. The main objective of the event is to help individuals create the life that gives them purpose and joy, while being kind to the planet and learn to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Science in the City 2022 - Taking Root 30 September - 1 October Place: Valletta Science in the City is back on the street! You can experience a variety of talks, hands-on experiments & performances within the historic walls of Fort St. Elmo, at St. Dominic's Hall, Spazju Kreattiv & the fortified City of Senglea. Come celebrate 10 years of Science in the City. We can't wait to see you all in person! A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae has become the first Asian star to win the Emmy award for best male actor in a drama. The South Korean won for playing the main role of the increasingly desperate Seong Gi-hun in the hit Netflix show. Film director Jean-Luc Godard, who spearheaded the revolutionary French New Wave of cinema, has died at 91. Godard burst onto the scene with 1960's À bout de souffle (Breathless), which started a run of acclaimed releases that rewrote the rules of film and influenced directors from Martin Scorsese to Quentin Tarantino. The show's creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, won the best drama series director prize, also the first Asian to do so. French President Emmanuel Macron said Godard "had the vision of a genius". The photograph was provided by the fantastic Guido Bonett.