Do Malta & Gozo have any natural spaces left?

Abstract

‘No’ I said to myself. ‘Lol, no,’ my friends sniggered at me. IS THIS TRUE? First of all, let’s establish the basics: How would you define the word ‘natural’? After lots of uhm-ing and ah-ing, I looked it up in the Collins English dictionary: ‘untouched by humans’. It had a certain romance to it. So, where are Malta and Gozo’s natural spaces? Well, most cliff faces are untouched by humans by virtue of them being inaccessible. The same goes for inaccessible pockets of the coastline. However, after a moment of reflection I realised that the latter are most likely dotted with microplastics. Moreover, both spots feel the indirect impact of humans: climate change, air pollution, and noise pollution. [excerpt]