Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/540322
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 JULY 2015 38 This Week I have an old poster that shows the breeding birds of Malta, and the Barn Owl features proudly on it. But that poster was issued in 1978 and since then our Barn Owl breeding population has been hunted to extinction. Despite being a consummate mouser and a 'certified' farmer's friend, the owl with the endearing heart-shaped face stood no chance here when hunter numbers went through the roof. The last known pair to have nested was in 1988 in Mġarr ix-Xini in Gozo. Like most owls the Barn Owl (M: Barbagann) is a night hunter, a predator with sound-muffling stealth technology and hearing so acute it can home in on a mouse just by listening to it. In recent years Barn Owls have become popular pets as they are easy to breed in captivity. But have we matured enough to share our countryside again with a wild population of this charismatic creature? Dare I hope that someday the Barn Owl would feature again on a Malta Breeding Bird poster? 462. BARN OWL GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 365: ACT NOW! – Help us protect nature by making your voice heard – visit http://www.foemalta.org/links/naturealert Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate Text Victor Falzon Photo Ian Balzan The odyssey lands in Malta BEING the first act to set sail in a col- ourful sea of events, Meeting the Od- yssey and the arrival of its home ship Hoppet in our Grand Harbour, inau- gurates the Malta International Arts Festival (MIAF) 2015 in symbolic fash- ion. Meeting the Odyssey is a social and artistic collaborative project. Each summer from 2014 to 2016, artists and organizers from different Euro- pean countries travel together, giving workshops and performing theatrical pieces. The project combines elements of the Odyssey, contemporary themes relevant to Europe and stories col- lected through exchanges with the lo- cal population. However, Meeting the Odyssey is also a journey in itself, sym- bolically set on a ship that has sailed from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea, bringing people together through long term collaboration, and discover- ing new artistic landscapes and cultural attitudes to develop synergies at the European level. Meeting the Odyssey evolves into Instants which are performances that combine the international element brought on by the Meeting the Odyssey artists with the local talents of teenag- ers from Aġenzija Żgħażagħ in a bid to show that the arts are not merely forms of entertainment but can also be a cata- lyst to bringing about positive change in society and its members through ac- tive participation and involvement. The Instances are going to be held on July 13, 14 and 15 at 19:00. Dates of the show are: July 10 to 12 and 16 to 18. For more information log on to www.maltaartsfestival.org PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERNI