‘Bug hotel’ proposed in Project Green’s plans for Mqabba ‘sensory park’

A park incorporating nature-inspired play equipment nestled beneath green roof canopies is being proposed instead of a disused and backfilled quarry in Mqabba.

The plans submitted by Project Green feature an interactive bug and bee hotel installation, a cozy story nook area, playful interactive mounds, a ping pong table, and various informal pathways and pretend-play equipment, all designed to ignite the imagination of children.

The project will take place in the area known as tal-Mithna.

“The project aims to reconnect children and their parents with the natural environment, offering them a myriad of benefits derived from immersive play in nature”, a Project Description Statement presented by Project Green states.

The proposal entails the excavation and construction of an underground reservoir to store stormwater for reuse in irrigating the plants and trees. It will also include bioswales along the perimeter of the site, which will collect stormwater, while directing the remaining water into the underground reservoir.

And by incorporating a diverse array of pollinator trees, the proposal aims not only to rejuvenate the disused quarry but also to create a resilient and ecologically rich environment that benefits both the ecosystem and the community.

The proposal also envisages the planting of mature trees to facilitate the prompt opening and utilisation of the park.

Presently the site is in a state of neglect due to numerous past interventions.

The park is being proposed next to a 17th-century windmill, immediately adjacent to the south of the existing quarry and in the vicinity the 17th-century Chapel of Santa Katerina and a nearby niche dedicated to the same saint.

The quarry has already been backfilled with construction and demolition waste mostly derived from the construction of Mater Dei Hospital at Tal-Qroqq. The government had already granted the quarry to the Council, primarily for the purpose of afforestation.