Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/922844
maltatoday SUNDAY 7 JANUARY 2018 39 Travel Finches are a large group of small songbirds, only seven species of which occur in Malta with any regularity. One of the more common species that visit is the chaffinch (M: sponsun), a bird that nests all over Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean, including the islands. But not in Malta, and the reason of course is trapping, an abominable habit where a man lays out nets on the ground, surrounds them with captive birds in minuscule cages so their calls lure their wild cousins to their doom. Thousands of chaffinches and other finches are caught this way every year, and the reason? Duh, because the trapper loves hearing their song! Well what vile selfishness, no wonder finch trapping is illegal in all EU countries. But instead of being a decent civilised nation, we revel in finding loopholes in the law to sustain this despicable anachronism. With such massive persecution and deplorable attitude neither chaffinches nor any of the other finches will ever nest here. 591 COMMON CHAFFINCH 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 GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 494: Find out more: www.foemalta.org/project/naturetherapy/ Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti Open Day Nature Therapy Come and discover the beautiful garden of Villa Chelsea in Birkirkara during the Open Day on Saturday 13 January, from 11:00-15:00. Find out what we've been up to in the garden in light of our Nature Therapy project, and get your hands dirty to help us plant vegetables & flowers, and build a bee hotel! Coffee & tea will be provided and a free lunch is available for the first 50 guests (on a first come first served basis so booking is advisable). In the Nature Therapy project, Friends of the Earth Malta has partnered with the Richmond Foundation to engage their clients and support staff in nature therapy activities at the garden of Villa Chelsea. The project aims to increase awareness and knowledge about gardening, pollinator-friendly species, and habitat protection and the potential of spending time in gardens and in nature for people's mental and physical well-being, as well as develop tools and methods for therapy in nature in Malta. BEST PLACE TO EAT I'm a foodie and won't be able to narrow it down to one place. In Bali I love the local Indonesian food from the 'warung', which could be compared to a mix between a pastizzi shop and a local kazin in Gozo, good excuse to sit down and chat away with the villagers in a typical setting. Ask for a nasi campur (mixed rice), ayam betutu (chicken in spices) or nasi pecel, you'll also be sur- prised to discover that suckling pig (babi guling) is one of their specialities. If you're looking for a good healthy breakfast, hipster cafes and surfers, head to Canggu, some favourite spots include Crate, Peleton, which serve amazing vegan food, that is even loved by non-vegans and Monsieur Spoon. BEST ADVENTURE ACTIVITY What is great about living in Bali is that your back garden is not only paradise but a playground for adventure and exploration. While Bali has loads of adventure activities to offer from canyoning, to water rafting, climbing Mount Batur for sunrise, sliding down waterfalls, mountain biking and just getting lost in the middle of nowhere, one memorable adventure was on the Island next to Bali, Java. Rocking up at the airport with no concrete plan we took all sorts of local transport to head up to Mount Bromo, an active volcano at 2,329 metres. Waking up before the crack of dawn we trekked up to Mount Penanjakan for sunrise to the most incredible views one could imagine. In order not to get trapped in the touristic routes, we trekked up by ourselves. We managed to also pop our heads into Mount Bromo's crater and eventually travelled towards Mount Semeru by bikes. We didn't drive ourselves since the bike ride was an adventure on its own. Skidding and holding on hoping to make it through the 'ocean of sand' we were glad to reach our destination to begin another trek at Ranu Kumbolo. It's an easy hike where you end up at an amaz- ing lake on the slope of the highest peak of Java. We spent the night in tents and woke up to a misty lake, followed by chilling in a hammock in a lavender field soaking up the sun before heading back to reality. BEST LOCAL THING I won't go back to the local food, but there are two things that have always struck me in Bali. One thing that you cannot miss and is an art in itself, are the Balinese offerings. Offerings vary from small pallets to more elaborate tower creations made from flowers, fruit and decorations. Created by the women and even sold at traditional markets, they are placed everywhere from doorways, to junc- tions in the street and on cars. The offerings are simply everywhere and are created as a gift to the gods while also to appease the demon spirits lurking around. The second thing to stop and appreciate is the use of bamboo; from decorations, instruments and furniture to buildings it really creates a connection between nature and functionality. Bam- boo not only creates an aesthetic beauty but is also very sustain- able and seen as a green building material. Make sure to check yourself into a bamboo villa while in Bali, or even better join a bamboo course. Bamboo U: Build and Design Course hosted by the Kul Kul Farm at the Green School and facilitated in collabo- ration with IBUKU is one I would surely suggest.