Born in Ħamrun on the 8 of February in 1951, Alfred Micallef spent his childhood days exploring the now long-gone Ħamrun countryside. After completing his secondary education, he followed a three-year Teachers’ Certificate Course at St Michael’s Training College. He was later awarded a scholarship at the Dudley College of Higher Education and completed his studies at the University of Malta (UOM). In 1973, he started teaching Biology at secondary level. After school hours, he also worked as a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Education within the University of Malta. Part of his work at the UOM involved mentoring and supervising a number of dissertations on various environmental educational fronts. He worked on the development and implementation of a programme of studies regarding the integration of environmental concepts in the primary school curriculum. In 1980 he received a commendation from the Commonwealth Association of Science and Mathematics Educators.
Alfred Micallef was an active member of the Teens and Twenties’ Talent Trust, where, as a particularly active volunteer, he worked with other youths on beach cleaning, tree planting and afforestation projects; mainly at Il-Miżieb, L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa, Dellimara and Ċirkewwa areas. Some important initiatives included the introduction of the concept of bird nesting boxes in public gardens. As the Chairperson of the Civic Christian Committee he worked hard together with his team to create a holistic environmental awareness amongst the general public.
During his teaching profession, he also sought to instill in all students the application of scientific practice in all aspects of the environment. This was achieved when, in 1973, he introduced an extracurricular project called ‘The Science Club’. This was a very active project for almost 40 years. Amongst other activities it included the prompting of students’ abilities to carry out experiments and expeditions spread over different seasons of the year including construction a greenhouse, a large aviary, a tree planting nursery and a nature area with local endemic plants and freshwater pools. All activities were aimed at increasing the students’ awareness of nature and the conservation of the environment around them. Emphasis was always given to local agricultural environment by organizing lectures from farmers and the establishment of a school kitchen garden.
Through a number of initiatives, funds were raised for the purchase of equipment to cover expenses for expeditions around the Maltese archipelago. Some of the locations explored were; Pembroke shoreline, Salina estuary, Il-Karraba, Santa Maria in Comino, Ir-Ramla, Id-Dwejra for Marine ecology and Il-Buskett, Il-Ħawlija, Ħad-Dingli, Il-Fawwara, Il-Girgenti for woodland, Maquis, and Garrigue communities. All the collected data were compiled in four volumes of reference books for future citation. The final product of this compendium included three volumes of four hundred and fifty pages each concerning the ecology of Il-Buskett woodland and a five hundred-page volume on the ecology of the rocky shore in Pembroke. Other activities included the annual “Young Scientist Award”, project exhibitions, visits to places of environmental and research practices, active participation in the National Horticultural Spring show, the Fur and Feather show, Arbour day and even appearing on Television programmes featuring discussions on environment conservation.
The pinnacle of Mr Micallef’s career was the introduction of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. This was a good opportunity for all participants, irrespective of their physical abilities, to enhance their achievements through Expedition, Skill, Service and Physical recreation, eventually reaching Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. This was done in symbiosis with Environmental Studies.
Mr Micallef is forever grateful to the hundreds of students he met throughout his teaching career, who participated in all these ventures with passion, inquisitiveness and enthusiasm. ‘They surely made these years, the best years of my life… a life which through every chapter has, is and will always be enriched, embraced and elevated by Nature’s most beautiful elements’. concluded Mr Micallef.
