EkoSkola Malta

SeaStuff – All about marine life around the Maltese islands and beyond

Website includes an A-Z list of species, a guide how to see and observe marine life, links to articles/weblinks on how to help protect the sea, tips on snorkelling, and lots of videos showing the different marine life observed in the seas around Malta and Gozo and Antigua.

Guide to choosing cruelty-free beauty products

 What Does “Cruelty-Free” Mean?  Truth About Animal Testing  How to Tell if a Brand is Cruelty-Free?  What Can You Do?  References The beauty industry has had a bad rap. According to the Humane Society International, over 500,000 animals die every year in cosmetic testing. The industry has for many years used animals to test mascara, shampoo, and other cosmetic products. Of course, this is something that doesn’t sit well with everyone, particularly animal lovers and activists. As such, most people are usually conscious of the products they use, and they would avoid mainstream brands without a second thought. If you’re concerned about the products you use, this post is for you. We’ll cover some of the things you should look at when shopping for cruelty-free beauty products.

18+1 IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES WITH STUDENTS ON PLASTIC WASTE

This new educational material for students (in English and Greek) promotes the minimisation of single use plastics and the proper recycling in our lives. The material is produced in the framework of the MEdIES project “Plastic waste? Into the blue bin, away from the blue sea”,  and is designed to be used by students aged 10-12 years old. It aims to raise awareness on the state and impact of marine litter, especially single-use plastics, as well as on proper recycling, and to motivate a behaviour shift at a household, school and community level. The material comes to support the educational interventions of MEdIES in schools (designed for late primary & early secondary level) but it can be used autonomously by schools/teachers working on these issues. It is a 48-page long publication available in PDF. Download the material in the English language from here

Bee Facts

Thanks to Friends of the Earth, Malta,  here is a chance to learn more about bees… From Shakespeare to Harry Potter – we’ve been in awe of bees for centuries. But how much do you really know about the insects that play such a unique role in our environment, economy and culture? Did you know that some bee species are solitary and live in individual nests – in the ground, brickwork, wood or hollow plant stems? That effective pollination of many crops relies on a diverse range of bee species? Dumbledore – a character in the Harry Potter series – is an old Cornish word for bumblebee?; Find out more! Download the Bee Cause booklet on pollinators and the plants they love.

Cruelty Free – Not Tested on Animals… a guide to skin care and cosmetics

Ever wondered whether the cosmetics and skin care products you buy have been tested on animals or are vegan?  How would you know?  What should you look out for? Actually what should you know about all this? This article provides a guide about all this and more.  Obviously it is not the ultimate guide.  The content is in fact provided by a company which reviews and ranks such products.  Yet the content is still worth reading since there is a lot of information put together on the topic. Cruelty-free skincare and cosmetic products are not tested on animals. In the past, it was believed that animal testing helped to prove safety and efficacy, but this is no longer true. Even if some products are not tested on animals, they may still contain chemicals that have been tested on animals at some point. In many companies, animal testing is being phased out. This is not just because animal testing is cruel, but also because the scientific results are not as useful as previously believed. Read more in the link below…

Our Planet series and related educational material

“There can be no greater legacy than giving young people the tools they need to save our planet.” Sir David Attenborough One Planet, Our Planet The habitats that make up our planet are connected and reliant upon each other. The astonishing diversity of life on earth depends on these global connections. Frozen Worlds Our poles are some of the earth’s last remaining wildernesses. And yet just as we are beginning to understand these extraordinary places, they are changing fast. and much more… Explore the links below and material found in them.

WWF Magazine

World Wildlife magazine provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the connections between animals, people and our planet. Published quarterly by WWF, the magazine helps make you a part of our efforts to solve some of the most pressing issues facing the natural world.

Nature for all Discovery Zone

Welcome to the #NatureForAll Discovery Zone. Curated from #NatureForAll partner resources, and ranging from videos to lesson plans, comic books to coloring books, this collection will help you connect people with nature, instill love of nature and learn about nature wherever you are. Refer to the link below for loads of online resources where you can browse hundreds of partner resources, from comic books to lesson plans. and a Conversation Space – A unique online platform allowing you to interact with nature enthusiasts interested in connecting people with nature.

Keep pets safe in the Heat

The summer months can be uncomfortable—even dangerous—for pets and people. It’s difficult enough simply to cope with rising temperatures, let alone thick humidity, but things really get tough in areas that are hit with the double blow of intense heat and storm-caused power outages, sometimes with tragic results. We can help you keep your pets safe and cool this summer. Follow our tips for helping everyone in your family stay healthy while hot.

EkoSkola Newsletter – St Michael School, St. Venera – Ħarġa 18

All about Light Pollution

The topics discussed on this page cover how to prevent light pollution, in particular the topics are: Public Broadcasting Station’s P.O.V. will give an encore showing of Ian Cheney’s The City Dark – Monday, August 12th, 2013 Reducing Light Pollution Preventing the Effects of Light Pollution in Your Home Practical Actions – Tips for how to better deal with Light Pollution from others IDA’s Good Neighbor Introductory Letter Some notes about legal actions that have been tried. American Medical Association UNANIMOUSLY passes Resolution 516 against Light Pollution Additional sites about light pollution If you would like to learn reasons to prevent light pollution, then consider some of its impacts… This site was suggested by Peyton Vogel and her friends.

Videos – stunning galaxy of marine wildlife around the Maltese Islands- PANACEA

Deep within Malta’s blue sea lies a galaxy of marine wildlife coming in all shapes, sizes and colours, or so we’re told. For despite the rich heritage, most Maltese know little of the underwater world encircling the island’s 300-kilometre coastline.

Celebrate Endangered Species Day

Biology, ecology, general science and other teachers will find a variety of resources about teaching endangered species preservation on the Endangered Species Day web site’s Teacher Resource Center.

Animal Awareness Education Programme

The Animal Awareness Programme is there to instill values in students, not only as future mature Maltese citizens but more importantly as citizens of the World. A world which from an early age children should learn how to respect, love and live within. A world which is inhibited by humans and other living species alike.

The Fish Game by The Cloud Institute for Sustainability

This online game is designed to teach sustainability by demonstrating the problems overfishing can cause. Players fish for 10 days, earning money for each fish, along with other people doing the same. They learn the rate that the lake restocks the fish population over the 10-day period and how to balance that with their own needs as well as having to consider what impact others are having on the fish population.

EkoSkola f’Tagħna t-Tfal – Diċembru 2011

This story is aimed to encourage care for animals and since not all can have an animal at home, they can instead visit and give help at a local animal sanctuary. Din l-istorja mmirata biex ikun hawn iktar min jieħu ħsieb l-annimali.  Għalkemm ħafna tfal iħobbu l-annimali mhux kulħadd jista jżomm annimal d-dar.  Minflok, jistgħu iżuru santwarju tal-annimali u forsi anke jagħtu daqqa t’id hemm stess…

Dogs Trust / Understanding your dog

Dogs Trust has teamed up with SPCA Malta to promote responsible pet ownership and improve standards of animal welfare on the island. Our experience both in the UK and internationally can be used to reduce the numbers of street dogs, help improve standards of animal welfare, support existing charities and raise the status of companion animals in Malta.

Waking up – video by the GAIA foundation

A man wakes up from a nightmare of a forest in destruction. As he stirs other visions flash before his eyes with his early morning actions. Frustration and anger turn to calm realisation as he slowly wakes up to the fact that his daily actions are connected to the world around him.