Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/977918
maltatoday SUNDAY 6 MAY 2018 41 This Week Widnet il-baħar is familiar with mostly everyone not because it grows everywhere – it doesn't. In the wild the Maltese rock- centaury grows on sheer cliff faces along the southern coast of the Islands, and so lives relatively far from urban areas. The reason it's so well known is because way back in 1971 the species was dubbed the national flower of Malta, so it suddenly became VIP (Very Important Plant) among the 1000+ species that comprise the Maltese flora. It was chosen for a very good reason: the species is endemic to Malta (i.e. it grows nowhere else on the planet). Its fleshy leaves look like spoon handles and in the coming days the plant should begin to open its first mauve, pompom-like flowers. Its typical habitat is cliff garrigue but is nowadays planted in public gardens, roundabouts and centre strips, in places forming even low hedgerows. It's very easy to propagate from cuttings but hey! don't go taking cuttings from the wild, or picking the flowers – this VIP is protected by law. EU governments this week passed a total ban on bee- harming neonicotinoid pesticides on outdoor crops. This comprehensive neonicotinoid ban, covering all outdoor crops, is a tremendous victory for our bees and the wider environment. The European Commission must now focus on developing a strong pollinator initiative that boosts bee-friendly habitat and helps farmers cut pesticide- use. Many farmers are already successfully growing crops without neonicotinoids. But too many other damaging chemicals and practices are still used. Farmers need more support from the European Commission and national governments to farm with nature – not against it. The Maltese authorities should be commended for supporting the ban but bees and pollinators are still in trouble – government should draw up a national strategy or action plan for bees and pollinators linked to biodiversity and climate change actions, food security and farming initiatives and rural and urban development plans. This is already available in other European countries including the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Wales, all Ireland, France and Norway. Our lives would be poorer in many ways in a world without bees. We take bees and other pollinating creatures for granted at our peril. 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 608. MALTESE ROCK-CENTAURY 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 511: Find out more: www.foemalta.org/beecause Text: Victor Falzon | Picture: Aron Tanti Victory for bees and pollinators DAWN GILLIES WITH Valletta's year as the Eu- ropean Capital of Culture in full swing, what legacy will this exceptional year leave for resi- dents, visitors, and investors? The Valletta 2018 foundation is exploring the long-term impacts through evaluation and monitor- ing, a process they began in 2015. Four major projects are under the spotlight: MUŻA (Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti), the Val- letta Design Cluster at the Old Civil Abattoir (Il-Biċċerija), Strait Street, and the Market Building (Is-Suq tal-Belt). A scientific com- mittee, with Antoine Zammit as a key figure, has designed a meth- odology to assess, and ultimately enhance their impact. 'The four projects we selected were purposefully chosen to have a mix of public and private-led developments, geographically distributed all over the city,' Zammit says. The committee sought to understand how the neighbourhoods are inhabited and experienced. Repeating the study over consecutive years will show a clear picture of develop- ment and change. The team conducted interviews with key stakeholders in the pro- jects and analysed the text, allow- ing them to understand the fre- quency of terms used and their context, revealing each stake- holders agenda. And make no mistake, each stakeholder had a very different agenda. For instance, Caldon Mercieca, head of the Biċċerija Design Clus- ter project, was very interested in involving residents in the pro- ject. On the other hand Antoine Portelli, on behalf of Arkadia for is-Suq tal-Belt, was all about the visitor's experience. This was a private, developer-led approach with no mention of the com- munity. In fact, there are major concerns about that particular project: that it may be unafford- able for many of Valletta's own residents and will end up killing off smaller local businesses. Their research also revealed that development planning ap- plications being submitted for property in and around Valletta are moving away from residential uses, and towards catering. Such news is alarming for anyone who cares about Valletta as a liveable city. Many of its longer-standing residents have been left feel- ing neglected. So the committee asked Valletta residents to point out anything which would con- flict with the liveability of the city. Overall, Valletta 2018 was per- ceived to be a good thing, but there was some scepticism as to what will happen beyond 2018 and what the legacy of Valletta 2018 will actually be. The team has made all of their research available through the Foundation's portals. Zammit hopes it will feed into future poli- cies, creating a very real legacy for Valletta 2018. For the full article as published in THINK magazine, please visit: https://www.um.edu.mt/think/ how-will-science-judge-vallet- ta-2018s-legacy/ How will science judge Valletta 2018's legacy? THE concert series Modern Music Days (MMD) presents four 20th century masterworks: 'Octandre' by Edgard Varèse, 'Chamber Concerto for 13 Instru- ments' by György Ligeti, 'Sinfonietta Op.1' by Ben- jamin Britten and 'Tehillim' by Steve Reich. For this exciting concert, selected musicians from the Brno Contemporary Orchestra (BCO) and from the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) will join forces un- der the direction of conductor Pavel Šnajdr. This is a great opportunity for the Maltese audience to experi- ence these major 20th century works that are being performed in Malta for the very first time. "One of the objectives of MMD is to create the op- portunity for local musicians to tackle important 20th century and contemporary works with the appropri- ate professional coaching." Explains artistic director and composer Ruben Zahra. "MPO musicians have already worked with conductor Pavel Šnajdr and in this concert they will also perform side by side Czech musicians who are specialised in this repertoire." As part of the culture programme of Valletta 2018, MMD is committed to promote the performance and understanding of contemporary music in Malta. The works selected for this programme are each consid- ered a masterpiece of the 20th century repertoire as well as accessible to a wide audience. 'Octandre' by Varèse transforms nervous solo rhythmic motifs into shocking waves of sound; Ligeti's 'Chamber Concerto for 13 Instruments' had been described as a single light of gathering intensity, shining through music texture; 'Sinfonietta Op.1' is a remarkably assured example of Britten's earlier compositions. The grand finale of the concert is Tehillim by Steve Reich which means Psalms in Hebrew. Scored for four female voices, winds, strings, percussion and two electric organs, this work is the first to reflect the composer's Jewish heritage. "Malta has missed out on 100 years of music," points out Zahra. "Important 20th century works that por- tray an unbroken line of evolution in classical music heritage, from Bach to Berio (and beyond) have not yet made it to the shores of Malta. Local audiences have a right to experience this music." Tehillim will take place at Teatru Manoel, Valletta, June 9 at 20:30. Bookings: www.teatrumanoel.com.mt 20th Century masterworks to be performed in Malta Musicians from Czech and Maltese orchestras join forces to deliver a ground breaking concert