Category: ERA Awards

Dr Daniel Micallef and Dr Stanley Zammit are this year’s Buonamico Award winners. The Buonamico Award is a yearly award-giving ceremony under the patronage of H.E. President of Malta to honour individuals who have made significant contribution to our knowledge and/or management of local biodiversity and environmental resources. Giovanni Francesco Buonamico was a 17th century Maltese naturalist, whose varied intellectual interests resulted in the writing of at least four important manuscripts on natural history. These included the first flora of the Maltese Islands, the so-called “Brevis Notitia” manuscripts.

July this year marks the 33rd year from when Dr Daniel Micallef was appointed Minister for Education and the Environment. It was due to his strong conviction and persistence that the Environment became part of a Ministry for the first time in Malta’s history. Shortly after becoming a Minister, he set up the Institute for the Design of Environmental Action (IDEA). Through this institute, he sowed a seed in the Maltese awareness that the environment needed to be approached seriously and urgently. Dr Micallef constantly spoke of the need for the environment to be tackled in a holistic manner, rather than a subject to be addressed independently from the rest.

Most people in Malta surely remember Xummiemu, the amicable hedgehog advocating good practices in relation to the environment. The friendly character was the brainchild of Dr Stanley Zammit, a medical doctor who served both locally and abroad. Whilst serving as Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, he was responsible for the first Legal Notices published under the Environment Protection Act framework, concerning, amongst others, the protection of flora and fauna and the abatement of pollution.

Dr Zammit was also behind the creation of the first ever Environment Protection Department and was instrumental in the establishment of an Administrative Law Enforcement Section within the Maltese Police Force, in order to assist in the enforcement of environment related regulations. Dr Zammit was also very conscious of the need to raise environmental awareness; to this end, he placed a great emphasis on public information and educational initiatives.

Both the President of Malta, His Excellency Dr George Vella, and ERA’s Chairman, Professor Victor Axiak, congratulated the winners and their families, whilst thanking them for their priceless efforts towards the environment and for bravely spearheading initiatives that starting to bring about societal change within Malta and amongst the Maltese.

4 July 2019

ERA held the second edition of the Buonamico Award on Friday 20th April. This Award recognizes significant contribution by individuals to our knowledge on the environment.

This year, the ERA Board recognised the contribution and knowledge provided by three individuals. HE Marie Louise Coleiro Preca awarded the 2018 award, at the President’s Palace in Attard, to Mr. David Dandria for his contribution of our knowledge on entomology, Mr. Edwin Lanfranco for his contribution to our knowledge on local botany and ecology and Mr. Joe Sultana for his contribution to our knowledge on ornithology.

This National Award has been named after Giovanni Francesco Buonamico, who was possibly one of the first Maltese botanists, writing the first unplublished Maltese Flora in 1670.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) requires and relies on data of the local environmental resources, such as biodiversity, but which data may not be readily available. ERA is aware that a considerable amount of useful information and data has been, and is still being produced by persons who though not necessarily having received any formal scientific training, often dedicate much of their time to study one or more aspects of our environmental resources.

Bionotes of the honourees for 2018 are being included.

For further information, you may wish to contact [email protected]

DAVID DANDRIA

ENTOMOLOGIST

Born on 22nd December 1944 and married to Michèle (nee Conti), Dandria was from an early age interested in natural history, following in the footsteps of his brother Tony, who was one of the founders of the Malta Ornithological Society (now Birdlife Malta). In 1968 he was awarded a Government scholarship at the Imperial College of Science and Technology of London University where he graduated B. Sc. (Hons) in Zoology in 1971.

Dandria took up the post of Entomologist responsible for plant health in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, through which he acquired a deep knowledge of Malta’s insect fauna and also studied other crop pests. He worked with several foreign experts and co-authored a number of papers on the plant parasitic nematodes of Malta. In 1984, together with the late Prof. Franco Lamberti and Dr Angela Capussi he published an Atlas of Plant Parasitic Nematodes of the Maltese Islands which included 17 species, most of them new records for Malta.

In the 1990’s Dandria developed an interest in Malta’s spider fauna, a field of study which had previously been given scant attention. In 1993 he co-authored a paper on the spiders of the Maltese Islands, later updated in a publication he made in 2005 with a checklist of the spider species then known from Malta, up to a total of 137 species. In between these two works, his studies on Maltese spiders included the discovery of a species new to science, including the Maltese linyphiid spider, Palliduphanthes melitensis (= Lepthyphantes melitensis); and the rediscovery of the arboreal habitat of the endemic and protected Maltese trapdoor spider, Nemesia arboricola, which had for a long time been thought to be possibly extinct.

Dandria was also a part-time lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Malta and an Agricultural Adviser within the Ministry responsible for agriculture in the years leading to, and immediately after, Malta’s accession to the European Union. He edited the scientific peer-reviewed journal The Central Mediterranean Naturalist, from 1993 to 2012, and contributed the Chapter on Arachnida (spiders, scorpions and related animals) in the publication Flora u Fawna ta’ Malta. He later translated this popular work into English, Wildlife of the Maltese Islands. A devoted environmentalist, he was Chairman of the Natural Heritage Panel of the former Malta Environment and Planning Authority (2006-2013) and  member of the Panel up to 2016. Dandria was also engaged as a Project Coordinator with EcoGozo (2011-2013), leading two EU projects AGRISLES and SIMBIOTIC.

Dandria is currently Museum Curator at the Department of Biology, University of Malta, and together with Prof. David Mifsud of the Institute of Earth Systems is working on the compilation of a complete checklist of Maltese arthropods comprising over 4,000 species.

EDWIN LANFRANCO

BOTANIST AND ECOLOGIST

Born on 21st September 1946 in Sliema, Lanfranco was educated at St. Elizabeth School, Stella Maris College, and St Michael’s College of Education. He furthered his studies at London University and graduated B.Sc. Special in botany (1973).

Lanfranco taught in primary (1968) and secondary schools (1968-1975), and at postsecondary institutions, including government sixth forms (1975-1987) and the University of Malta. He was a visiting lecturer in systematics and botany at the University of Malta since 1978, and full-time, mainly in botany and evolutionary biology, since 1988. Following retirement (2011), he continued lecturing on a part-time basis, mainly at the Institute of Earth Systems.

He is an author of many scientific reports, articles and papers in local and foreign journals; focusing most research on Maltese and Mediterranean floristics (including endemic, native and alien species, vascular plants, marine algae and fungi) and vegetational investigations of habitats, and has reported, discovered or rediscovered many species of plants for the first time in the Maltese Islands, including the first reference to the Maltese spider orchid as an endemic, later formally named Ophrys melitensis. He is the co-author of some endemic species, like the Maltese horned pondweed, Zannichellia melitensis; and was also globally recognised with the naming of the endemic Maltese Cliff Orache, Cremnophyton lanfrancoi (= Atriplex lanfrancoi), named in his honour, having been involved in its discovery and for his contribution to Maltese and Mediterranean botany.

He has also been instrumental in providing scientific information for the designation of protected flora and protected areas, through his contribution to the first lists of sites of conservation value in the Maltese Islands and rare and threatened species included in the Red Data Book for the Maltese Islands, which were both published by the precursors of ERA in the 1980s.

Edwin Lanfranco also served on the committees of several environmental NGOs dedicated to nature conservation and was president of the Natural History Society of Malta (currently, Nature Trust Malta) and is also an advisory and academic member of several local and foreign boards and committees on botanical and environmental matters and attended international conventions and conferences in several countries. He has and is assisting ERA in various work voluntarily and has also carried out and participated in various consultancies, particularly for ecological reports and monitoring exercises. Apart from Malta, he also carried out fieldwork and lectured in other countries, mainly in the Mediterranean area.

Lanfranco is currently working on a new complete flora of Malta and continues casual lecturing and supervisions of dissertations and fieldwork projects with the Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta.

JOE SULTANA

ORNITHOLOGIST

Born in Xagħra (Gozo) in 1939, he is married to Lucy (nee Sammut), and is father to Ruth and Mark. He started as a teacher with the Education Department in 1957 and retired as Principal Environment Officer with the Environment Protection Department in 2000. He served on the Board of Directors of the Planning Authority (1992–1997), as consultant at the Ministry of Environment (2001–2002) and Technical Advisor & Chairman of the Ornis Committee (2003–2006). Mr Sultana also participated in the formulation of legislation for the protection of sites and birds and was instrumental in setting up the Għadira and Is-Simar protected areas.

Sultana has volunteered for the Malta Ornithological Society (MOS), later BirdLife Malta, since its foundation in 1962, serving as Secretary (1967–1975), President (1976–1987) and Head of Ringing Scheme (1971–2002). He was also editor of Bird’s Eye View and IlMerill and authored or co-authored several landmark books about birds in Malta including A Guide to the Birds of Malta (1975), the Birds Chapter in the Red Data Book for the Maltese Islands (1999) and The Breeding Birds of Malta (2011), amongst many others.

Sultana’s studies and research ranged over a number of bird species especially the local breeding birds. He found seabirds of great interest and conducted research and data collection on the breeding colonies of seabirds.

On the international scene, Sultana served as Chairman of the ICPB’s (International Council for Bird Preservation) European Section (1985–1992), as World Council Member of BirdLife International (1994–1999) and Chairman of the Medmaravis Council (1995– 2011). Furthermore, during his Council of Europe appointments, he was a member of the Steering Committee on Conservation and Management of the Environment and Natural Habitats (1982–1994), Chairman of Naturopa Centre (1987–1998), member of the Organising Committee for European Conservation Year 1995 (1993–1995), and a European Diploma sites appraisal reporter since 2000. Additionally, he was also consultant to the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas for the Strategic Action Programme for the conservation of Biological Diversity (SAP BIO) project and the Action Plan for the Conservation of Annex II Birds (2001–2003).

Throughout the years, Sultana has been awarded with the Gouden Lepelaar (Golden Spoonbill) award by Vogelbescherming Nederland (Birdlife, Netherlands) (1993); the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Medal (1996); an Honorary Life Membership by the British Ornithologists’ Union (1999) and made a Member of Honour by BirdLife International (1999) for his significant contribution to bird and nature conservation.​

30 April 2018

ERA has set up a Buonamico Award, to mark World Wildlife Day (celebrated yearly on the 3rd March) in order to honour environmental enthusiasts who have made significant contribution to our knowledge on local biodiversity and environmental resources.

This year, the ERA Board recognised the contribution and knowledge provided by two individuals. HE Marie Louise Coleiro Preca awarded the 2017 award, at the President’s Palace in Attard, to Mr. Hubert Spiteri for his contribution to our knowledge on vascular plants (particularly, orchids) and Mr. Michael Briffa for his contribution to our knowledge on local flora, in particular on fungi, slime moulds and other flora.

This National Award has been named after Giovanni Francesco Buonamico, who was possibly one of the first Maltese botanist, writing the first unpublished Maltese Flora in 1670.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) requires and relies on data on the local environmental resources, such as biodiversity, but which data may not be readily available. ERA is aware that a considerable amount of useful information and data has been, and is still being produced by persons who though not necessarily having received any formal scientific training, often dedicate much of their time to study one or more aspects of our environmental resources.

Bionotes of these honourees are being included.

For further information you may wish to contact [email protected]

Michael Briffa was born in 17th November 1926 and married to the late Yvonne (nee Debono). He was first attracted to the local flora towards the end of the 1960s, through the influence of three persons: Guido Lanfranco’s radio programmes and his contagious love for flora and his ‘Guide to the Flora of Malta’; the botanist Edwin Lanfranco, who was instrumental in Briffa’s works, especially for solving identification problems; and his late old friend Mario Gauci, who introduced him to many local species of flora. Briffa’s passion led to valuable knowledge to the scientific community on local vascular flora and mycoflora (particularly fungi and slime moulds) – with various new records of species for Malta, new localities for rare species and the rediscovery of species previously considered as possibly extinct.

Amongst his most renowned discoveries is the shrub Sarcopoterium spinosum, typical of the eastern phrygana, found for the first time in 1985; Muscari commutatum, a bulbous flowering plant first reported by him in 1983; and the buttercup Ranunculus parviflorus in 1985. Additional rediscoveries of important species include the Maltese dwarf hawksbeard, Melitella pusilla, first described from Malta in the early 20th century and rediscovered by him in 1983, and is now protected at international level, as well as the dog rose, Rosa canina, and the bugloss, Echium sabulicola, rediscovered after more than a century; the beaked spider orchid Ophrys oxyrrhyncos; and more than 40 other flowering plant species.

He also rediscovered the white-flowered form of the National Plant, the Maltese rock-centaury, Palaeocyanus crassifolius; such form was first included in the description of the species by Stefano Zerapha in 1827 but not found for decades.

In 1980s, he also became interested in fungi (particularly wild mushrooms and toadstools), and later in 1995 in the related slime moulds. More than 300 fungal species were encountered during his studies, with several new records for Malta. Notable fungi include Amanita mushrooms; the polypore Inonotus euphoriae; as well as various species association with oak/pine woodlands as well as rockrose phrygana. As to slime moulds and related species, Briffa compiled an annotated checklist of 71 species in 1997. Amongst the several rare species found are Craterium rubronodum, Physarum echinosporum and Tubifera microsperma, which were never recorded in the Mediterranean Region.

Most of the discoveries by Michael Briffa are included in the official ‘Red Data Book for the Maltese Islands’ issued by the precursor to the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA), and a good number of species are now protected by law, either directly as protected species or through the protection of their habitats through the Natura 2000 network and the related designation of Special Areas of Conservation and Tree Protection Areas by ERA.

Hubert Spiteri was born on 16th February 1945 and married to Mary (nee Xerri). He lives in Naxxar and is a successful businessman who for over three decades, managed his family-run business based in Pietà. But his real passion has always been botanical studies. He is a well-known personality to a closed number of botanical scientists and local experts in fauna and flora. And he should be, since over the past decades his ceaseless rumblings have yielded no less than six new records of wild flowers to our official list of flora. Furthermore he developed culture techniques of growing such plants in his own garden grounds. His investigations and records have been cited both locally and internationally. And yet, he is still a stranger to the local media.

His first ‘discovery’ was that of the stinking sea daffodil, Pancratium foetidum, at Għadira in 1963. This was the first local record of this species; which is considered as of biogeographical importance, being essentially a Maghrebian species extending its range to Malta. It is now a protected flower under local regulations.

Over the period 1969-1979, we can mention at least four other discoveries or re-discoveries made by Huber, though there are others. These include the new record, the orchid Ophrys bombyliflora var. parviflora, and the butterfly orchid, Orchis papilionacea. The latter was reported from Malta, although prior to its discovery by Hubert, was considered doubtful. The species is considered critically endangered with a restricted distribution to the Maltese Islands and is protected.

He also rediscovered a small bluish iris belonging to the Moraea sisyrinchium group, which has not been recorded in our countryside for at least the previous 85 years. The likely reason for this ‘hide and seek’ habit for this iris may be due to the fact that its flower opens up only for about one hour during the daytime, and especially at noontime. Hubert managed to germinate its seeds in a type of compost he developed himself. Subsequently he reintroduced such species to other local places.

In 1976, he came across the elegant narcissus, Narcissus elegans, which has never been reported locally. The species is considered as very rare, and is listed in the Red Data Book and in local regulations as a plant species of national interest whose taking in the wild and exploitation may be subject to management measures. In 1979, Hubert rediscovered the sawfly orchid, Ophrys tenthredinifera, which is a critically endangered protected species, considered possibly extinct prior to this discovery. The plant observed by Hubert differs from the typical form.

Many of these species are now protected through the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations, 2006 (SL 549.44) in the Maltese Islands and included in the official ‘Red Data Book for the Maltese Islands’.

13 March 2017