Involving the local community
The local community makes up an integral part of the environment. The Cliffs Interpretation Centre makes its utmost to enhance the participation of different members of the local community.
Cheeselet production is a local tradition, reminiscent of traditional practices associated with sheep rearing and related cottage industries. The Cliffs Interpretation Centre buys this fresh produce from the last local shepherd who roams Dingli Cliffs with his livestock. First preference is also given to agricultural products available in the area, by local vegetable growers according to the season.
Local employment is also empowered at The Cliffs in terms of the staff that work at the Centre. Moreover, certain products such as bread and minor perishable items are daily bought from the local bakery and local grocery stores found in the village of Dingli.
The Centre has also involved the local community through hosting several Natura 2000 workshops to group together local entities and persons. Since The Cliffs is a neutral stakeholder within the area, it has also been selected as the venue for the first seminar on bird photography delivered by an ornithologist to a group of hunters and trappers, who have taken up photography as a hobby.
The Centre was also chosen for a one-month ongoing art exhibition from a local artist with ties to the village of Dingli. The art focused on the dynamic landscape of Dingli Cliffs and the interaction between humans and nature.
The Centre also contributes to activities organised by the Local council of Dingli. The latest involvement of The Cliffs Centre has been in welcoming a group of resident diplomats to gain more knowledge on the surrounding environment and the locals’ way of life (Link). It has participated in the EDEN award competition, which promotes sustainable tourism and its linkages to gastronomy.
We would like to thank Fr. Eucharist for giving us for free the space of the local centre when large groups that cannot be catered for in the centre arrive at our village, (2014, 2015, 2016). The above and other measures are all taken by The Cliffs Interpretation Centre to involve the local community as much as possible.
