Last Thursday the British Royal Naval vessel, HMS Illustrious’ crew gave a helping hand in the Clean Up event organized by Nature Trust (Malta) in the Madliena tower area. Despite the bad weather and continuous rain, the ship’s crew members managed to collect over 208 Kgs of waste from the area. Nature Trust Malta’s Executive President, Vincent Attard expressed his gratitude towards HMS Illustrious Commanding Officer and all the crew for their honourable initiative to help preserve the Maltese Islands’ natural beauty. He reminded the public to be responsible to not leave litter behind when enjoying picnics in the countryside. Lieutenant Elizabeth Kennedy from HMS Illustrious stated that it is of vital importance that everyone gives their part in keeping such a beautiful island clean to preserve it for future generations. She added that it was truly a privilege for her team of volunteers to be able to contribute in this positive event. Nature Trust Malta also suggested to the authorities, to deploy green wardens to ensure that people leaving litter behind are warned or fined, so as to boost environmental awareness in our Islands. Ms Amy Briffa from San Gorg Preca College, contributed this item.