Vandals target Wied Għollieqa Environment Centre

The centre is used by environment NGO Nature Trust (Malta) to welcome visitors to Wied Għollieqa Nature Reserve, which is located between the University of Malta in Msida, and Kappara.

Hundreds of students visit the centre every year to learn about various environmental issues such as marine life, biodiversity, habitats, water, air quality, sustainable development and climate change, among others. 

“They hauled stones, smashing glass door and window panes and damaging window sills, as well as some of the furniture inside the centre,” executive president Vincent Attard said, condemning the vandal attack.

Preparations are currently underway for the centre to start receiving students, as schools are about to re-open after the summer break.

The NGO spends thousands of euros on the maintenance of the nature reserve and the environment centre every year. Vandal attacks are a blow to the organisation, which does its best to manage sites such as Wied Għollieqa on very limited financial resources.

Most of Nature Trust’s funds come from the authorities, private sponsors, donations and fundraising activities, so any extra expense resulting from vandal attacks creates problems.

Earlier this year, vandals also damaged information signs and trees, and drowned cats and other animals in the water reservoir used to water young trees. Managing a site is an ongoing process, but also a continuous struggle against irresponsible individuals.

Wied Għollieqa has been under Nature Trust’s management since the 1990s. The once degraded valley has been restored over the years; today it is alive with a number of indigenous trees, plants and wildlife.

In view of the vandal attack, the Nature Trust Council has taken a decision to allocate funds that will be collected during the NGO’s social event on Saturday to repair the damage caused at Wied Għollieqa Environment Centre and to begin the process to install security cameras on site. The event will be held at Black Pearl in Ta’ Xbiex.

Nature Trust has appealed to anyone seeing any signs of vandal attacks to inform the NGO on [email protected] or call the police.