Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537913
Nature Notebook Yelkouan shearwaters – Kemmuna's best kept secret Read Friends of the Earth Malta's article, featuring a contribution by BirdLife Malta's Martin Austad, which highlights one of Comino's birds: the Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan, Maltese: Garnija). This seabird species is a regional endemic, breeding exclusively in the Mediterranean basin. Almost 10% of the global population nests in the Maltese Islands, with an estimated 150–220 pairs found on Comino alone. FoEM has been working tirelessly to protect Comino's unique flora and fauna. Their flagship project, Il-Forn ta' Kemmuna, aims to establish an educational hub on the island, raising awareness about its ecological im- portance and advocating for its protection as a Natura 2000 site. Find out more about Il-Forn ta' Kemmuna and support FoEM: https:// kemmuna.org/ Green idea of the week 132 Find out more about Il-Forn ta' Kemmuna and support FoEM: https://kemmuna.org/ Don't miss this Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member 1. Rooftop Series Summer Festival 2025 Date: 30 July Location: Rooftop – Catholic Institute, Triq John lopez, Floriana, Malta ILSNA Live in Concert takes the stage at the Rooftop Series Summer Festival on 30th July 2025 at the Catholic Institute, Floriana. Expect unreleased Maltese songs, raw emotion, and daring performance in a reimagining of 'ILSNA: Songs and Stories of Lovers' — a theatrical performance from earlier this year. Featuring Ruth Borg, Jethro Cooke, Fleur van den Berg, and Pete Galea. 2. Back to The Roots – Mediterranean Herbs, from Heritage to Plate Date: Until 2 August Location: Valletta Design Cluster, Bull Street, Valletta, Malta An enriching lecture series that brings together experts, gardening enthusiasts, and community members to explore the timeless value of Mediterranean herbs and their relevance in our modern lives. 3. A Resonant Forever Date: 2 August Location: Hideout, Triq Martin Luther King, Pembroke, Malta Expect a transformative night of ambient soundscapes, experimental techno, rhythmic depth, and bold sonic storytelling. 4. Delicata Classic Wine Festival 2025 Date: 8-10 August Location: Upper Barrakka Gardens, Triq Sant' Orsla, Valletta, Malta Head to the 2025 edition of Delicata's celebrated summer wine festival, set once again in the enchanting Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, on August 8, 9 and 10. The festivities run nightly from 7pm until midnight, inviting you to sip, savour and sing along under the stars. Sunday night will dazzle with "Legends of Pop", a spectacular tribute to timeless pop hits. Expect powerful vocals, iconic tunes and high energy as Maltese music stars Glen Vella, Ludwig Galea, and Michela Galea join forces with the Spiteri Lucas Band for an unforgettable live show of classic pop covers. 5. Notte Napoletana Date: 8 August Location: Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta, Malta Join the Malta Concert Orchestra, led by Maestro Dario Salvi, for a vibrant night of Neapolitan music. Enjoy timeless classics like O Sole Mio, Funiculì Funiculà, and Granada in rich vocal and orchestral arrangements that capture the soul and spirit of Naples. 6. Castillo: Il-Festival Mediterranju tal- Letteratura ta' Malta 2025 Date: 20 August Location: Creative Space, Castile Square Pope Pius V Street, Valletta As part of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival 2025, the Maltese film Castillo will be screened on 20 August at 7.30 pm at the Spazju Kreattiv Cinema . With the support of the National Book Council, the film will be followed by a public discussion led by writer and critic Teodor Relji. He will be joined by Simone Spiteri, theatre writer, leading actress in the same film and guest author for this year's Festival; Mark Camilleri, Chief Executive of the National Book Council; and filmographer Carlos Debattista. This event will be bilingual, in Maltese and English. 7. Exhibition - Two Moons and Two Suns Date: Until 20 August Location: Palazzo de La Salle, Republic Street, Valletta, Malta An exhibition proposed by the Fictive Archive Investigations – a collaborative multidisciplinary, international project and working group, led by artist Claire Ducène. Twelve artists from a wide range of disciplines offer a labyrinth of possibilities for the island archive and its fiction. 8. What is to Become is Already Here Date: Until end September Location: MICAS — Malta International Contemporary Arts Space, Triq Joseph J. Mangion, Floriana, Malta Working across several agreed principles, the three distinct bodies of work reflect Shawcross embrace of the possibilities of the physical space. The placing of the works serves to guide the visitor around the grounds, with the sculpture on the fortification walls overlooking the harbour, visible from many vantage points in the environs, signalling a clear message about the future mission of the site. Back to The Roots - Mediterranean Herbs, from Heritage to Plate is on until 2 August 980. Common reed-warbler THE reed-warbler (bufula tal-qasab) is an amazing little bird. It flies all the way from Europe to south of the Sahara desert. Yup, and flies right back across in spring. A few pairs don't fly all the way to mainland Europe, though, but stop and nest on our crowd- ed little rock. But they only do this if they find the right habitat, which is marshland with lots of reeds. This kind of habitat is scarce in dry old Malta, but with expertise, foresight and dedication one can hydrate and coax a patch of land into allowing lush reedbed to flourish. This is exactly what BirdLife has just been doing at Sali- na nature reserve in the past few years. The reeds have grown, the reed-warbler was quick to respond, and promptly nested in the area! 5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 JULY 2025 ALMANAC Victor Falzon, Mark Aron Tanti (photo)