Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515420
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 FEBRUARY 2024 5 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 904. Għadira Nature Reserve DESPITE the rather thrifty show of rain this winter, the lagoon at Għadira nature reserve has filled up nicely as the site shows clear signs of the season. This is mostly evident through the swathe of napping tamarisk whose dry orange foliage dominate the saltmarsh. Insect life is currently at a relative low, as is usual in the cooler months, but everywhere resonates with robin calls as they vocifer- ously remind each other of their territory. The ground is (finally) carpeted in green herbage as winter flowers begin to flourish in both quantity and variety. A quiet half-hour in the birdwatching hide can turn up moorhen busy about their business, graceful little egrets strutting in the shallows, and black-necked grebe repeatedly diving after killifish. Grab a pair of binoculars and go visit some weekend. Remember: it's free. 1,000 citizens and NGOs say no to the Melita gas pıpelıne Corruption, assassination, and environmental destruction are keywords associated with the Electrogas power station and the Melita TransGas pipeline that the Malta Government is proposing. A thousand citizens and representatives of 14 NGOs signed the open letter asking decision makers to ensure that no public money goes to this fossil fuel project. The letter was sent to decision makers both in Malta and in the EU institutions. The proposed Melita TransGas pipeline, estimated to cost €400 million, was included in the EU's fifth list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI), making it eligible for EU funding, and again features on the sixth PCI list, which the European Parliament and member states now have the opportunity to review and reject in a vote in the week of 12th February. Victor Falzon www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 780: Read more on: foemalta.org/press-releases/nogaspipeline/ 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 Ghajn Xtutna by Moveo Dance Company On 4 February Place: Valletta Campus Theatre Moveo presents a groundbreaking collab with Cheryl Lofreda from The MVMT, merging Urban & Hip Hop with contemporary dance. A performance paying homage to Malta's watchtowers, symbolizing vigilance against modern threats. This fusion of styles explores fear, determination, and community safeguarding in the 21st century, addressing contemporary vulnerabilities and the quest for effective defenses. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Mosaïc Ensemble On 16 March Place: Valletta Campus Theatre Mosaïc is an ensemble of 6 musicians from Bulgaria, France, Portugal, and Tunisia. Georgi Dobrev (Kaval), Noé Clerc (accordion), Adèle Viret (cello), Zé Almeida (double bass), Diogo Alexandre (drums), and Hamsi Jamoussi (percussions) consider their compositions as spaces of musical encounters at the crossroads of jazz and Mediterranean music. A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK A stage show based on the 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers is to launch in London's West End later this year. The play has been adapted by writer and creator John Cleese using material from three episodes of the BBC series - The Hotel Inspectors, The Germans and Communication Problems. A US judge has sided with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his fight with Disney, rejecting a lawsuit that had accused the Republican of organising a campaign of "government retaliation". Cleese said it was a "thrill" to be bringing Fawlty Towers to the West End for the first time. Judge Allen Winsor said the actions that Disney opposed were legal and it lacked standing to sue the governor.