Our Young Reporters at Work at Buskett

What a Pity!

Nayessa Gauci

On Friday 24th January, our class went for a walk to Buskett. Buskett is one of the greenest areas in Malta that provides a large green area with beautiful flowers and trees. It is a very popular place with tourists and for family picnics.

While we were walking along the pathways, we saw a lot of plastic bags, orange peels, paper, packets of wet wipes, plastic bottles, packets of sweets, cigarette butts and tissues -although there were several rubbish bins. Next to some trees we saw pieces of broken glass which are dangerous for others, especially for children. Seeing all this made us sad and angry !!

This shows how careless certain people are. Littering can lead to soil, water and air pollution. It also makes a bad impact to the environment because hazardous chemicals can leach out of the litter and pollute the soil and water nearby. Litter may be a threat to certain species, such as reptiles, and other small animals as they may become trapped in plastic bags and suffocate. We should be aware that there is life on land and that we need to keep these places clean and beautiful as we are ruining nature and the environment around us.

These are some photos of litter at Buskett:

A Walk in Buskett

Wayne Vassallo

One day I went to Buskett and I didn’t have fun. I was with my friends. I saw a lot of litter on the ground and tissues thrown with the wind!

While I was walking I saw big and small, tall and short trees, many different types! There were a lot of orange trees and pine trees. I saw cigarettes, tissues, plastic bags, plastic bottles, glass bottles, papers and also crayons on the ground! This makes Buskett look ugly and it is supposed to make people relax. These things can cause sickness, damage to the trees and fire in the summer.

Follow the sustainable goal ‘ Life On Land ‘ to protect our environment from danger!

All the Litter in Buskett

Denzyl Vassallo Wright

Today I’m going to talk about the litter in Buskett. I was surprised, because I didn’t expect that there would be so much trash on the ground.

While I was on the outing I was wondering why people throw their trash outside considering that there is a trash bin every 10 steps you make in Buskett woodland. And the first thing you see when you enter the Buskett woodland is a big sign with the words Do not litter and to Use the trash bins.

People have to keep in mind all the disasters that could happen by throwing away a simple piece of plastic or a cigarette. Trash can ruin all the beautiful trees and cigarettes, if not put out, can burn all the nature and insects and also ruin our environment.

Life is beautiful and we have to protect our trees and animals.

Trees clean our air, encourage us to get outside, reduce stress and protect us from harmful rays of the sun.

A single tree can be a home to many species of insects, fungi, animals and plants. The effects of plastic are that some animals might eat the plastic causing its species to have a higher chance of becoming extinct.

Without trees, these animals and insects would have nowhere to live and our life will be more stressful and with polluted air. So it is very important that we take care of our environment and teach people not to throw trash in public places but to throw them in bins.

Awareness at a Young Age

Amy Vella

On Friday 24th January 2020, the Year 5 students of Dingli Primary school, accompanied by their teachers, went to Buskett. The aim was to do research about litter.

As they strolled along the pathways, they noticed a number of bins allocated in the area. However, they still came across different types of litter. Some of these include: packets of snacks, an amount of tissues, pens, and even a garbage bag resting on a tree branch.

Litter such as plastic leaves toxic chemicals in the soil, which eventually are passed into the environment.

It also destroys the natural habitat of insects, birds and wild plants.

The students had a first-hand experience about the consequences of littering. In order to reduce this problem the school is organising a clean-up event on Monday, 10th February 2020.

Everyone can make a difference and turn the tide for a better environment!

Buskett Gardens: Wonderful or Not?

Timur Lemeshev

Buskett Gardens – what a wonderful place! Magical green forest, fresh air, even some rare animals! A walk in there will be just fine for anyone or not?

On Friday our class went on an outing to Buskett to find out how much litter there is. Look, how nice and pretty everything is in this photo!

But, unfortunately, there is a limited view on photos, so you’ll probably see litter everywhere in real life. I will just prove my word with this photo.

As you can see, litter is a big problem in Buskett. Don’t forget that Buskett is a natural reserve where rare animals and plants live! But still – even though there are signs everywhere “Do not litter”, everyone doesn’t care.

You also have to remember, that Buskett is the only forest (by the way, its size is 30 hectares) in Malta, so take care! And another dangerous thing is this:

DO NOT throw cigarettes on the ground!!! It might cause a giant forest fire that will probably take away lives of animals and humans. Just imagine this: You are having a walk in the gardens, and you see that the forest is burning! You are trying to run away, but the fire is faster than you You notice a frog hopping away, but you can’t move that fast. You feel your t -shirt burning OK, OK. I think that’s enough to understand that you shouldn’t throw cigarettes on the ground.

So let’s get back to litter. You may ask “Why can’t anyone throw litter? Nothing will probably happen.” I hope you understand why litter will leave a bad effect on Buskett, but let me still remind you: all the rare fauna in Buskett Gardens will die if they have to live literally in the middle of a trash can! Throw litter in real trash cans – there are about 40 of them in the Gardens!

Take care of your future – don’t litter!

Buskett Gardens and Litter

Julia Bonello

The Buskett woodlands is a national treasure of around 47 hectares of trees and land left to us by our ancestors. It is also home to rare species and different trees. Inside this natural garden are also areas of historical interest. Hence, it is imperative that we make all efforts possible in order to protect and preserve such a gem.

Unfortunately, if one visits the Buskett Gardens, one can still notice litter in different places. It is a shame that some people do not share the same vision of protecting such a rare natural habitat and beauty.

Although regulations are indeed in place to regulate such behaviour, it seems that the only way to stop such actions to happen is through constant education. Social media, for example, can be used as one way to get across such an important message.

I believe that such an initiative to safeguard the ecology of the Buskett Gardens should start from each and every individual by giving an example to others and to always clear up after a picnic and to never drop litter.

Disappointed at Buskett Gardens

Elisa Caruana

Last Friday, my classmates and I went to Buskett Gardens, as young reporters. Honestly I was disappointed with what I found.

I thought I was going to make a report about trees, flowers and frogs but litter took over. It is so shameful that a place like that is full of litter. The worst part was around the bins because the ground was full of litter. Why do people throw litter on the floor when there are eleven bins?

Are we doing something to help our environment? Everyone has to do his part for a cleaner and greener planet.

Effects of Waste on Buskett

Dean Bugeja

Last week, my classmates and I went to Buskett to see how waste that people leave, effects the environment.

At Buskett, we saw litter everywhere, for example packets of sweets on trees, bonfires that can burn trees and that cause problems and plastic on the ground and on trees. This litter can damage nature. So, we need to take care of nature and throw garbage in bins. Also we can damage the homes or nests of animals or insects that live in nature.

We need to take care of nature by removing the litter because if we keep on going like this, we will not have a beautiful nature anymore.

Garbage in Buskett

Jean Pulis