9 October 2007 Rating 172% No Comment  

Nature in Gozo, a BirdLife Malta publication detailing the flora and fauna of Gozo and featuring a plethora of colour photographs, was launched today by the Hon. George Pullicino, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment, at the Natural History Museum in Mdina. Well-known nature expert Mr. Guido Lanfranco, author himself of several books on nature, provided a critical evaluation of the publication. Mr Lanfranco said "This book is meant to show the flora and fauna of the island of Gozo, to be recognised and appreciated and protected before it is too late. This work published for the island of Gozo brings to the fore the fear that Gozo being a smaller island there is a greater danger of habitats being lost with all they sustain, because a hasty step in development or one encroachment too many will constitute a greater percentage loss in relation to available habitat area, than if the same thing happened in a larger country." The publication, aimed at students, Melitensia collectors, nature lovers and tourists, consists of three main sections. The first section is penned by Joe Sultana, a renowned ornithologist and author of several publications related to the local natural environment. This section offers a general overview of Gozo's natural habitat covering different fields of study and highlighting the charm and beauty of Gozo's environment and promoting an appreciation of its heritage. The following section of the book details the variety of floral species one can find in Gozo. Edwin Lanfranco, who has been involved in the field of botany and conservation since the 1960s, writes about more than 160 species and each is presented with an accompanying photograph. The final section of the book presents 130 species of fauna, also with accompanying reference photographs. This latter section is co-authored by John J. Borg, Principal Curator at the National Museum of Natural History, and Joe Sultana. Speaking during the launch BirdLife Malta President Joseph Mangion congratulated the authors for their hard work which he said was another concrete step taken towards the conservation of Malta's wildlife heritage. "This publication documents the rich flora and fauna of Gozo in a visual feast for the eyes. We must protect our little remaining natural heritage from unsustainable development projects like the one proposed for Ta' Cenc. Malta's natural environment covers only 22% of Malta and Gozo's surface area and if we fail to limit development projects such as that of Ta' Cenc, future generations may only be able to enjoy our natural heritage from the pages of books," he concluded. Nature in Gozo was also launched at the Ministry for Gozo, during a separate presentation. The stunning publication is a must for all nature lovers and admirers of Malta's natural heritage. The book can be bought from BirdLife Malta's offices, the nature reserves of Ghadira and Simar, shops around the islands, and the shop at the Natural History Museum in Mdina. To order a copy, please call 21347644/5 during office hours or visit www.birdlifemalta.org....