Ġnien Dinja Waħda, a newly-opened garden at the prehistoric site of Għar Dalam, is offering local students an educational and entertaining experience beyond the classroom walls.

Falling within the remit of Heritage Malta, Għar Dalam was already an incredible location to visit for its unique historical significant, and now, it is also providing space on site for use by visitors of all ages, with particular emphasis on Year Six students, who can participate in an educational programme designed specifically for them. Heritage Malta will also be covering these students’ transport costs from their respective schools to the site and back.

Tell me more…

Ġnien Dinja Waħda follows in the footsteps of similar spaces that have been created in several educational institutions with the help of BirdLife Malta, where students may feel at one with nature and learn in an applied, rather than abstract, way. 

The garden is planted with indigenous and endemic trees and shrubs, has a seating area, and also features a freshwater pond, giving children the opportunity to observe different land and water species in their natural habitat.

Who can visit?

Ġnien Dinja Waħda is open to all those who visit Għar Dalam, both individually and in groups, but for the time being the educational programme is only being offered to Year Six students. When taking part in the programme, classes are divided into groups, each of which engages in various alternating activities. 

These include pond dipping, where children get to observe the pond’s fauna under the tutelage of the site’s curator; visits inside Għar Dalam itself, focusing on the cave as a natural habitat for different species; and a bark-rubbing activity where students transfer onto paper the natural patterns found on tree trunks and branches. Children will also sow seeds of indigenous trees and take them to school to nurture. The trees will later be planted at Għar Dalam and other Heritage Malta sites.

Ġnien Dinja Waħda was launched with a visit by Year Six students from Birżebbuġa Primary School, in the presence of Heritage Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, Noel Zammit, and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Education, Frank Fabri.