Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1519405
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 APRIL 2024 5 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 915. Baillon's crake MANY birds are show-offs and love parading their flamboyant col- ours and feathery crests and plumes and tails. Males do this chiefly to attract females or warn other males off their patch and their lady. At the opposite 'introvert' end of the spectrum, many birds employ all the tricks in nature to render themselves invisible. A group that usually opts for the latter way of life are the largely secretive rails and crakes. About a dozen species of this family have occurred in Mal- ta, and one very rare species, which turned up very recently, is the diminutive Baillon's crake (M. gallozz tal-faxxi). It lives in marshes with thickly vegetated margins, where it skulks about looking for worms and insects. Its small size and cryptic plumage help hide it from predatory eyes – and gun-toting trophy hunters. Friends of the Earth Malta is happy to announce that we have joined a Zero Waste Europe Network!DISPLA- CEExciting news! Friends of the Earth Malta has joined the Zero Waste Europe Network! Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) connects 36 local and national NGOs across Europe, all working toward one powerful goal: achieving a zero waste future. We're thrilled to be part of this network, ready to explore innovative ideas and collaborate with inspiring organ- isations. As we face the climate emergency, reducing global greenhouse gas emissions is crucial. Plastic pollution and waste significantly contrib- ute to this challenge. ZWE focuses on these impacts and promotes the benefits of embracing a zero waste lifestyle. FoE Malta are happy to join this crucial network! Victor Falzon, Aron Tanti (photo) www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 788: https://foemalta.org/press-releases/zero-waste-europe-announcement/ 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 Trios Concerto On May 3 Place: Mediterranean Conference Centre Trio concerto features James Zammit, Mario Pasalia and Noel Beck. The programme includes: Evergreen favoruites by JS Back, Hayden Grandaos, Erik Satie, Gustav Mahel, Pizaaolla and others. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member La Ronde From April 24 to 30 Place: Splendid, Strait Street A delivery driver meets a prostitute before his date with a cleaner, who shares an illicit encounter with a student she works for, before he sneaks off to a cheap hotel for an affair with a married woman… Arthur Schnitzler's controversial classic receives a bold reimagining in the heart of contemporary Malta, directed by Philip Leone-Ganado and starring Simone Spiteri and Anton Saliba. A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK Sunset Boulevard was the big winner at Sunday's Olivier Awards, equalling the record for the most prizes for a musical at the ceremony. Its seven wins included best musical revival and acting awards for its stars Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis. Euphoria and The White Lotus star Sydney Sweeney has hit back at comments from Hollywood producer Carol Baum, who said of the actress, "She's not pretty, she can't act. Why is she so hot?" Sweeney, who was Emmy-nominated for both shows in 2022, called the comments "shameful". Other winners included Succession star Sarah Snook, who won best actress for her performance in an adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The 26-year-old added that she felt "unjustly disparaged".