GħarDalam-A Global Garden for the Future (Ġnien Dinja Waħda) - renaturing our future guardians
Ġnien Dinja Waħda transformed a degraded area at Għar Dalam, a Natura 2000 site, into a learning space. This was planted with indigenous trees and shrubs and a freshwater pond was created. The aim is to provide different communities with the opportunity to interact and observe different land and water species in their natural habitat and reconnect with nature. The project aims to restore biodiversity and widen knowledge and appreciation of the Maltese natural environment.
National
Malta
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It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Heritage Malta Type of organisation: Other public institution First name of representative: Noel Last name of representative: Zammit Gender: Male Nationality: Malta Function: Chief Executive Officer Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: 35 Dawret Fra Giovanni Bichi Town: Kalkara Postal code: KKR1280 Country: Malta Direct Tel:+356 2295 4323 E-mail:noel.zammit@gov.mt Website:http://heritagemalta.org
As guardians of over 8,000 years of history, Heritage Malta is the national agency for museums, conservation practice and cultural heritage. With a portfolio that encompasses archaeological sites, baroque auberges and palaces, catacombs, forts, natural landscapes and UNESCO listed neolithic temples, Heritage Malta is the face of the Maltese Islands.
The Ġnien Dinja Waħda project aims to highlight the need to conserve natural habitats. The Maltese islands are amongst the smallest and most densely populated country in Europe. Coupled with the fact that the population is highly urbanised, this means that we are losing our connection with nature. Għar Dalam, the site where Ġnien Dinja Waħda is located, is a prime example of the effects of climate change and is here being used as a platform to highlight the impact that climate has on natural and human life.
An area, which was formerly disused, falling within the grounds of Għar Dalam Cave and Museum (https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/ghar-dalam/) has been transformed into a renatured space accommodating Ġnien Dinja Waħda, an informal garden surrounding three irregular ponds with indigenous trees and shrubs. A seating area was formed in front of the ponds to accommodate an informal classroom space in this pleasant open landscape.
The Ġnien Dinja Waħda concept evolves around using this natural environment setting to facilitate the learning of skills conducive to the understanding of climate change as being something that we humans have contributed to. This, however, does not mean that we cannot mitigate its effects through individual action. Ġnien Dinja Waħda provides students and adult educators with exposure to nature and habitats and also the knowledge and skills needed to make a change.
A short video of the Ġnien Dinja Waħda project can be viewed through this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CDLT2Y98_c
Renaturing
Environmental awareness
Reconnecting with nature
Transformative experience
Learning space
The educational programmes provided on-site for students aim to transform the mindset of those following into one that takes into consideration the effects of each of their very actions. The fact that we are part of an ecosystem and that our activities influence the natural and human environment in both positive and negative ways is highlighted. The aim here is to create awareness and hopefully instil ways by which future generations think and act.
The project is sustainable as the trees planted are indigenous and in the long term, they will provide various benefits including shade for visitors as well as creating a cooling effect, retaining water through the extensive root system, and creating an environment for the various species (insects and other invertebrates, birds, reptiles, amphibians) that inhabit the site.
The re-naturing of the site has provided habitat and food that attracts pollinating species.
As regards financial sustainability, apart from the initial investment, the project is self-sustainable with little to negligible investment needed.
What was once an unpleasant, unused and degraded area has been transformed into a natural space that promotes mindfulness. The creation of this habitat has attracted several threatened species such as dragonflies and butterflies, painted frog, different species of lizards, migratory and resident birds. This provides visiting communities with the possibility to observe species in their natural habitats as opposed to viewing them only through virtual media. All materials used to transform the site, including seating and the creation of walkways, was done using recyclable, natural materials of local origin thus reducing the carbon footprint.
The site of Għar Dalam was used from prehistory to contemporary times. Remains of these past cultures are visible and include the archaeological remains of an agro-industrial villa dating back to the Roman period (7th century BC to 3rd century AD) and defensive structures from the Period of the Order of St John (1530 - 1798) and World War II. A small museum displays palaeontological remains excavated from Għar Dalam Cave, which demonstrates Malta’s connection with Sicily. The cave is situated within the valley, and this enhances even more the cultural and natural aspect of this project.
A visit to Ġnien Dinja Waħda provides all visitors with views of open natural landscapes. It also facilitates the contact of visitors with nature. It is a proven fact that exposure provides health and psychological benefits. Considering the highly urbanised areas in Malta, such spaces are direly needed.
The site was transformed in a way to be fully accessible to those with mobility impairments. This was done through the creation of a levelled walkway around the pond leading to the seating area. Other aspects of accessibility will be tackled and provided by:
a) Visual impairments: an audio description of the pond and the surrounding area will be recorded and made available. Such audio descriptions have already been created for other Heritage Malta sites in collaboration with the Translation Department at the University of Malta.
b) Sign language: sign language tours are also provided for people with hearing difficulties.
c) Language barriers: Tours and activities in different languages are provided.
Heritage Malta is in constant dialogue with the various governmental and non-governmental entities entrusted with the care of people having different abilities with the aim of making the site as fully accessible as possible.
School visits to Għar Dalam and the Ġnien Dinja Waħda experience are offered free of charge and trasnport is paid up by Heritage Malta. The standard price of entry is very affordable being only Euro 6.50. However, Heritage Malta frequently organises open days. Apart from this, access to this site is free for all students up to the Tertiary level of education through the Heritage Malta Student Passport scheme which provides free access to the student and any two adults accompanying the students to all Heritage Malta sites. Free access is also provided to senior citizens through the Heritage Malta Senior Passport scheme (age 60 and over). More information can be about these schemes can be found here:
- https://passport.heritagemalta.mt/
- https://heritagemalta.mt/app/uploads/2022/01/hm-senior-leaflet_compressed-1.pdf
In 2015 Heritage Malta appointed an internal multidisciplinary working group to plan and implement actions to improve the visitor experience at Għar Dalam. In the process, this working group met a number of stakeholders including local councils from the region, NGOs, academics and experts to discuss and share ideas and solutions; Ġnien Dinja Waħda was one of the suggestions raised through this consultation process.
We believe that this initiative will impact positively the target audience. The expected impact of this project is future citizens who are actively aware of how their action, and also inaction, can shape their own future and that of other generations. The exposure to biodiversity, and the need for this biodiversity for humans to have a meaningful existence in a well-adapted world, is highlighted throughout the educational programmes. The sense of well-being and benefits just sitting in nature provides, will produce citizens who are aware of the need to preserve the natural environment and to come up with alternative ways in which progress, on whatever scale, can still be made in a sustainable way and with little to no impact on our natural environment. Another expected impact is to have citizens who want to recreate such environments (or similar ones) in the areas they inhabit even on a smaller scale, such as roof gardens, and also citizens who demand such actions and spaces from their leaders.
As referred to above, Ġnien Dinja Waħda was part of a consultation process with a number of stakeholders including local councils from the region, NGOs, academics and experts, who besides other suggestions came up with the vision for such experience.
Moreover, Ġnien Dinja Waħda is part of Dinja Waħda education programme designed and managed by BirdLife Malta. This programme has been running for the past 30 years in all Primary Schools and has recently been extended also to Secondary Schools throughout the Maltese Islands. It is only recently that this programme has also been extended beyond school walls with the Għar Dalam site being the first. Heritage Malta is also in the process of transforming other similar areas in other sites in its management. Birdlife Malta provided the design of the pond and technical advice for the construction of the pond and paths.
We also collaborated with the Environment and Resources Authority which, besides issuing the necessary nature permits as the site is a Natura2000 site, also supplied us with rare plant species. Other plants and trees were also provided by two other governmental entities - Ambjent Malta and Parks Malta.
Heritage Malta carried out all the required technical works.
As regards the educational programmes, we collaborated with the Ministry of Education, various schools and teachers, to ensure that the activities carried out on site fit with the students’ curriculum.
Education - the design of the whole project revolves around the need to transfer knowledge and to create an appreciation of the natural environment through the teaching of subjects related to natural sciences such as classification of living and non-living things, biodiversity, food chains, climate change and the impact of humans. This was done by creating a programme through which children are shown the life-sustaining properties of the pond, the recognition of different species and how they interact with each other, the impact of humans on the environment and how through sustainable living we can promote biodiversity by creating the right habitats. The University of Malta and Primary Healthcare are being consulted when it comes to creating programmes for audiences with different abilities.
Design - the whole area was designed by BirdLife Malta, on the same principles as other Ġnien Dinja Waħda areas. The expertise of BirdLife Malta was therefore tapped and adapted to fit the requirements of the Għar Dalam area. Ambjent Malta, the government agency responsible for the environment, was also consulted when it came to using natural and local materials for the creation of seating areas and walkways.
Ecological and Botanical - Planting was done in conjunction with experts from the Environment and Resources Authority, and through their help, the right kind of plants and shrubs were identified. They also provided advice on the maintenance of this area.
Consulting with all these entities at the design stage helped us make sure that the area being developed was maximised and fully accessible to all. It also helped us to avoid making mistakes through misconceptions as regards needs certain audiences might have had.
People are becoming used to the design and planning of formal gardens and open urban spaces making use of modern materials including hard paving and urban furniture. The Ġnien Dinja Waħda concept revolves around nature and natural components. The innovation of this project, both in its design and implementation, seeks the adaptation of natural resources towards its fulfilment. Therefore it created this garden by using recycled tree trunks for creating the required furniture and also to delineate the public passageways. The natural vegetation and indigenous trees and shrubs form a unifying element in this holistic design, creating a completely informal environment as opposed to the mainstream formalisation found in urban areas.
The concept on which the educational and accessibility programme is based is innovative when compared with the mainstream educational programme to which the young students are usually exposed to. The siting of Ġnien Dinja Waħda in an area of natural beauty helps to instill an understanding and appreciation of aesthetic beauty. During these sessions, students sow seeds of indigenous trees and other plants which they need to care for and bring back to the Għar Dalam nursery for eventual planting in the area. This helps the students to value their active role as direct contributors to the caring of the natural environment and civic responsibility.
Since Ġnien Dinja Waħda is located within a site which is visited by foreign tourists, its exposure goes beyond the Maltese Islands.
The project is made up of various components, the physical ones which led to environmental improvement and the active participation of students and visitors through the programmes and interpretive measures offered on-site by Heritage Malta.
Any of these elements or activities and even the holistic project can be completely replicated in any other sites such as schools, places of work, public spaces, or museum sites, besides others. Heritage Malta is already planning to widen the Ġnien Dinja Waħda project by introducing similar environments and experiences in other sites under its management. The concept of this project goes beyond our country and into different environments across the world.
We expect that through the Ġnien Dinja Waħda project, local communities will recreate similar environments in their neighbourhood. Through corporate social responsibility programmes and events which are frequently organised at Għar Dalam, we also expect that employees will encourage their employers to recreate similar environments at their place of work. (One such example is a corporate social responsibility event held at Għar Dalam by HSBC Malta employees: https://www.facebook.com/HeritageMalta/videos/1144279026279086 ).
Heritage Malta is readily available to share the knowledge gained through this project with anyone requesting such assistance.
The Ġnien Dinja Waħda project was the result of a stakeholders' consultation exercise carried out by Heritage Malta. In order to assist us with its design, we consulted directly BirdLife Malta who provided useful information with regards to the design and construction of the pond. Similar consultation was carried out by Heritage Malta's educational arm with the Education Department in order to create activities that build upon what is taught in the National Curriculum and in class. We are also planning to develop resources and activities for people with different needs. In this process we will be consulting the University of Malta, NGOs and the Ministry of Health, as is usually done for other museums and sites.
All physical work on site, ranging from the ground formation and levelling, the construction of ponds and landscaping, were all carried out by internal human resources. Trees and shrubs were propagated from seeds to saplings in our nursery and by students after participating in the programmeat Għar Dalam, before being planted in the area. The area is constantly being maintained by Heritage Malta employees.
Climate change is a global challenge which needs to be addressed urgently. Although there is the perception that small initiatives have no impact in resolving this, we believe that each and every individual can and has to contribute towards addressing such challenge. No matter how small the country or how small the contribution is, each initiative has the potential of creating a positive ripple effect and the necessary momentum for wider actions. With this in mind Heritage Malta is taking a number of initiatives to promote awareness through its interpretative resources and also through its infrastructure.
The palaeontological remains unearthed at Għar Dalam (the site of Ġnien Dinja Waħda) represent the effect of the climate change that happened during the Ice Age. The species that inhabited the islands at the time have become extinct, and this is a stark reminder of how climate change can radically alter natural environments.
Human actions have accelerated the impacts of climate change; what we are now trying to do is create mitigation measures to try and slow down these impacts. This initiative aims to create awareness and tries to address and provide solutions to such change.
Ġnien Dinja Waħda aims at exposing the younger generation to the remains of these past climatic changes in order to grasp the current global challenges resulting from climate change. Taking the students out of the classroom into the natural environment helps them to understand and appreciate nature and biodiversity through this personal experience.
The planting of indigenous plants and trees and the propagation of their saplings is another experience provided through this project in which students are also participating. It is a known fact that the protection and planting of trees is one of the solutions to combat climate change. By giving students seeds to propagate which are then collected again and planted, we are actively providing local solutions to a global challenge.
The Ġnien Dinja Waħda project was completed by the end of October 2021 welcoming the first student classes from Birżebbuġa Primary School, the same locality where Għar Dalam is located. Since this date, 300 students from different schools across the islands have benefited and actively participated in this educational programme. A group of adult educators have also been invited to follow the programmes offered. This not only ensures that they themselves benefit from the programme, but also that they are able to prepare students for the visit and to also do follow-up activities at school. These programmes are being offered on a yearly basis by employees from Heritage Malta. Apart from that all lesson plans and resources are being made available to educators who want to lead the programmes at Ġnien Dinja Waħda. Moreover, during the year 2022, 27,526 paying visitors, the majority of which are foreign tourists; and 4,377 non-paying visitors, most of which are Heritage Malta Passport Holder and school children; visited Għar Dalam and the Ġnien Dinja Waħda area and thus were exposed to this concept.
From a bio-diversity and nature point of view, since its completion, the pond in Ġnien Dinja Waħda has settled beautifully and is attracting birds; many species of insects especially dragonflies; and other aquatic fauna. A number of small bug hotels have been placed around the area and are being used by several species, especially spiders. The planted trees and shrubs are maturing in a healthy manner and within 5 years time, most of the trees will be providing shade for students and other users of the area.
The Ġnien Dinja Waħda project provides a platform for educators to expose their students directly to nature and the natural environment in a context outside the physical boundaries of the classroom. This provides a unique experience to be remembered for students participating in this programme. The memory of such an experience will remain ingrained in the participants through adulthood and thus contributing to the necessary actions against the impact of climate change and other environmental problems. Apart from this, the skills needed to grow a tree from seed to sapling to planting will contribute to the afforestation of other areas. During our trekking programme, the students also learn to identify different species ranging from plants and trees to insects, birds and amphibians. Instilling a love of nature in the younger generations will contribute to them becoming citizens who appreciate how humans can, through their actions, mitigate measures which lead to the loss of natural habitats.
