BirdLife Malta is hosting a fundraising dinner on May 24 at the Argotti botanic gardens in Floriana during with a fund will be launched to finance Connect with Nature, the organisation's new campaign.

The aim of the Connect with Nature campaign is to obtain funds from companies and individuals in Malta for BirdLife's scientific research work to identify areas of international importance in Malta. On the basis of years of intensive research, BirdLife Malta has so far identified 11 such sites in the Maltese islands. These include: Ta' ?en?, Comino, Filfla, Buskett, l-A?rax tal-Mellie?a, Beng?isa to Wied Maqbul, ?a?ra s-Sewda to Ix-Xaqq, Il-Kullana to tal-?ifen (Dingli Cliffs), i?-?nus to Tal-Bardan, Xlendi Bay to Wardija Point, and Dwejra Bay to San Dimitri.

Designating protected areas safeguards these sites from activities such as building encroachment, alteration of habitat, uncontrolled leisure activities, among other threats. Moreover, protecting these areas, in a small country such as Malta, ensures that areas of the countryside remain in their natural state for existing and future generations to enjoy.

The fundraising dinner to be held on May the 24th sees the launch of this work which is a new long-term goal for the organisation. The cost is €35 euro per person which covers a 3-course dinner with half a bottle of wine per person and live entertainment provided by William Mangion. Persons interested in attending may choose to form a table of 10.

In order to reserve your place, please download the booking form from BirdLife Malta's website www.birdlifemalta.org or call on 21-347644/5 during office hours for further information.