Growing the Future: Afforestation and the Plant Nursery at Majjistral Park
Walk through the northwest of Malta today and the landscape can look wild and untouched. Much of it is the result of patient work. Since 2007 more than 11,000 endemic trees and shrubs have been planted at Naħħalija and Xagħra l-Ħamra, and every one of them began life in our own plant nursery.
The reason for planting here is simple. Centuries of grazing, clearance and disturbance left parts of this coast bare and exposed to erosion. Native vegetation holds the soil in place, gives shelter to wildlife and brings back the mix of habitats that once covered these slopes. Restoring it is slow work, but it is some of the most rewarding conservation we do.
The nursery is where it all starts. We collect seeds and cuttings from plants growing wild in the park and raise them on site, so every young plant carries local genetic stock. This matters more than it might seem. Plants grown from nearby parents are suited to our soils, our wind and our dry summers, and they keep the natural character of the area intact instead of mixing in material from elsewhere. Seedlings spend their first months in the nursery, where they are watered and protected until they are strong enough to face the open ground.
Planting takes place in the cooler wet months, when the soil is damp and young roots have the best chance to settle. The work depends heavily on volunteers, school groups and corporate teams who spend a morning with us putting plants into the ground. Many of them return a year later to see how their trees have grown, which is a lovely moment for everyone involved.
Afforestation does not end once the planting is done. Young plants need to be watched through their first summers, and invasive species such as giant cane must be kept from crowding out the native ones. Over time the plantings knit together into a living habitat that supports insects, birds and small animals, and the benefits keep growing each year.
You can be part of this work. We welcome volunteers, school visits and groups who would like to plant with us, and sponsors who want to support the nursery directly. A visit is also a good way to see the results for yourself.
