The Tal-Wej area in Malta is now officially a Natura 2000 site!

The site covers 203,484 m2 of land within the limits of Mosta and Naxxar and will now be protected in its entirety as part of the European Natura 2000 ecological network.

The area is characterised by temporary freshwater rockpools that form in outcrops of the Lower Coralline Limestone. These freshwater rockpool habitats are locally scarce due to their temporary nature, small size and limited distribution.  They host flora such as the Maltese Waterwort (Elatine gussonei), the Maltese Horned Pondweed (Zannichellia melitensis) and fauna such as the Tadpole Shrimp (Triops cancriformis) and the Painted Frog (Discoglossus pictus).  Additionally, the area also hosts garrigue and grassland habitats.

These are some of the many reasons why the area was made into a Natura 2000 site.

The area is also listed as a Class A archaeological site, forming part of a wider cultural landscape that includes cart-ruts, dolmens, ancient quarries, rock-cut tombs, corbelled huts and a 16th century chapel dedicated to Santa Margherita.