Prime Minister tours Elysium Visitor Centre at Għajn Tuffieħa - 17th May 2007

	Prime Minister entering Elysium Visitor Centre

The Prime Minister, accompanied by Minister George Pullicino and the Parliamentary Secretary Dr Frans Agius, kicked off a tour of the newly announced heritage park in the limits of Għajn Tuffieħa by visiting The Gaia Foundation's visitor centre and nursery for indigenous trees. They were given a tour by Dr. Rudolf Ragonesi, the Foundation's Executive Director, who explained that the centre housed over 10,000 plants of 40 different varieties, many of which are rare or hard to propagate. Records of the provenance of all plants are systematically maintained. The nursery has made it possible for the Foundation to plant over 15,000 trees and shrubs in Għajn Tuffieħa and Ramla, Gozo. Trees are also made available for other projects throughout the island.

Dr Ragonesi explained that the visitor centre hosts environment workshops for over 2,000 foreign students every year, as well as a number of other events, including Gaiafest, an annual holistic festival in June. The production team of a well known foreign TV programme will soon be coming over to cover Gaia's work at the Centre and at Għajn Tuffieħa. This will give extensive exposure not only to the project, but also to Malta's environment in general.

Once an old sewage treatment plant, Elysium today also serves as a support centre for the Foundation's coastal management work at Għajn Tuffieħa, which includes habitat restoration, tree planting, ranger patrols, organic farming and sustainable tourism. The environment visitor centre is located within the vicinity of the new Xagħra l-Ħamra heritage park.

Dr. Ragonesi commended the Government for its decision to establish a heritage park in the area, and pledged the Foundation's support in the management of the new park, stating that its coastal management equipment, which includes a patrol boat and a patrol vehicle that runs on bio diesel, as well as a large number of trees, would be made available for the project.

Rudolf Ragonesi
Executive Director