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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2014 TRAVEL 45 The aging walls of the Magdalene Church in Valletta embrace many stories and many secrets. Stories of female success, happiness, hope but also sadness, despair and suffering. Prostitutes were not the only inmates at Santa Maria Maddalena as the monastery housed young girls, preg- nant women, mistresses of knights, witches, female hostages and other social cases that through volition or coercion took vows of chastity, obe- dience, poverty and claustration. On November 20 at 18:30, at the Italian Cultural Institute, Chris- tine Muscat, author of the book Magdalene Nuns and Penitent Pros- titutes will be delivering a talk about this group of cloistered nuns who, in the face of all adversity, went on to achieve recognition and status. A donation of €5 is kindly solicited. Limited seats available. Bookings at: http://goo.gl/GXdQUb About two dozen wild duck species have so far been recorded in the Maltese Islands. Half of these are very rare, some extremely so (seen just once, for instance). At the other end of the spectrum, some species are seen in flocks numbering hundreds every year, winging low and fast over the waves. In the middle range are those that are neither too rare nor too common. This is where the handsome Ferruginous Duck sits, so-called because of its rich, rusty dark chestnut colour, especially the pale-eyed male. Unlike the familiar domestic Mallard which up-ends in order to graze on underwater vegetation, the Ferruginous Duck (M: Brajmla Hamra) is a diving duck. Thanks to this ability the bird can reach vegetation that lies deeper than would be accessible to the surface dabblers. By evolving different habits and adaptations to exploit different niches, a variety of animal species are able to live in a community without creating too much competition for food among themselves. That's nature for you, a study in balance. 430. FERRUGINOUS DUCK GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 280: WASH AT 30º – Washing clothes at 30 degrees rather than at higher temperatures can use around 40% less energy and save you money. Modern washing powders and detergents work just as effectively at lower temperatures so unless your laundry is heavily soiled, turn the dial to 30. on Friday. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced and as many as 10 million affected. As government negotiators meet in Poland for the international climate summit, members of Friends of the Earth from across the global federation showed solidarity for the victims and survivors of the typhoon, and called for urgent and just action to avert the worst consequences of climate change. The typhoon should serve as another reminder that the world is on a precipice. From flooding to hurricanes to droughts and food shortages, the impacts of climate change are becoming more frequent and devastating day by day. It is indigenous and rural peoples, like many of the victims in the Philippines, who are the most vulnerable to climate change, and the least responsible for it. Following an electrifying and emotional appeal for action from Yeb Sano, climate commissioner for the Philippines, three young climate activists raised a banner in solidarity with the people of the Philippines – for which they have subsequently been thrown out of the climate negotiations. Tackling climate change means changing the unjust and unsustainable economic system, especially our dependence on polluting fossil fuels and other forms of dirty energy which is driving land grabbing, pollution, deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems, as well as human rights abuses, health problems, premature deaths, and the collapse of local economies. Friends of the Earth Europe are calling on European politicians to work towards an equitable, ambitious and people-centred solution to the climate crisis. This means fast and fair emission cuts in line with science, financial assistance to developing countries so they can adapt to the impacts of climate change and tackle urgent development needs, and a mechanism to compensate for all that will be lost due to climate change. Philippines: solidarity through climate justice Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us www.foemalta.org. You can also support us by sending a blank SMS donation on 50618070 (€4.66) or 50619223 (€11.65). Text and photo Victor Falzon Alf Mizzi lends helping hand to Our Lady of Victory Church restoration FAA public talk on 'The Penitent Magdalenes of Valletta' TO celebrate 100 years in business, Alf. Mizzi and Sons Ltd. through The Alfred Mizzi Foundation will be extending its sponsorship to Din l-Art Helwa's project of the resto- ration of the altars at Our Lady of Victory Church and of their elabo- rate carved stone niches. 2015 will commemorate a hundred years of active contribution by the firm, which also coincides with the 50th Anniversary of Din l-Art Helwa, founded in 1965, to safeguard and preserve the cultural and natural heritage of the Maltese islands. Conservation work by the Giuseppe Mantella team is advanc- ing to reveal the original gilding and polychrome marbled effects on the altar dedicated to St John of God as patient cleaning of several layers of inappropriate paint and centuries of grime is slowly yielding results. The Alfred Mizzi Founda- tion has been contributing to this project for the last four years and is now contributing another generous sum towards the completion of this project. Recent cleaning has revealed the original inscription over the altar in its gilt cartouche and shows the dedication to St John of God in 1746. The decorative scheme that is being uncovered is believed to be the first one dating back to the early 18th Century and while over paint- ing and rising damp have caused deterioration especially in the lower layers, the scheme that is being re- vealed, with its gilding and marbled effect, is one of the very few that have survived permitting further understanding of an original deco- ration in a baroque church. Gilt cartouche showing the dedication to St John of God in 1746 Flamina Valenti