Photo credits: Mr Matthew Calleja
A team of researchers from the Biodiversity and Ecology Research Group within the Institute of Earth Systems at the University of Malta have been, for the past six months, working on the continuation of the Wild Future for Orchids Project.
Originally initiated in 2016 by Voluntary Organisation, GreenHouse, the project relies on the contribution of citizens, hence it being labelled as a ‘Citizen Science’ initiative, to conserve and ecologically monitor Malta’s wild orchids.
The Wild Future for Orchids project successfully implemented a large-scale data collection on Malta’s wild orchids, unattainable by traditional ecological surveys due to the very short flowering period of these orchids. The data collected is crucial for conservation purposes as it allows a better understanding of their current situation.
The project, also aimed at gathering knowledge on Malta’s unique orchid species, is led by Ms Simone Cutajar, a UM PhD candidate, Mr Arthur Lamoliere and Prof. David Mifsud.
Building on the solid foundation and network of Citizen Scientists and stakeholders, the focus now shifts to expanding the network, improving data accuracy and exploring diverse funding sources.
Check out more about the project in the video below: