Since 2016, BINCO and Greenhouse Malta NGO initiated the Malta Biodiversity Initiative (MABIMO). MABIMO strives towards a biodiversity monitoring network for biodiversity across the Maltese islands with standardised survey protocols. This network will help to gather the necessary information to assess what species are present, how they are distributed and detect possible trends in time and space to better conserve the respective taxa and ecosystems.

MABIMO is initiated with a select number of taxonomic groups including orchids. BINCO and Greenhouse mobilize volunteers through citizen science projects to collect information on orchid data to gain insight in their current distribution across the islands and help construct and update the red list of threatened species for Malta.

The book ‘Orchids of the Maltese Islands – a descriptive guide’, written by Stephen Mifsud in collaboration with Greenhouse Malta and BINCO, is a product from this citizen science project and can be considered a valuable addition to the current knowledge on Maltese orchids. The field guide covers all species of orchids known to occur on the Maltese Islands. Besides detailed morphological descriptions and identification keys illustrated with diagnostic photographs, the species pages in the book contain information on their distribution, rarity, morphological variation, flowering period, pollinators and so on.

“Orchids of the Maltese Islands” is a must have guide for nature enthusiast and professionals alike for anybody living in or visiting the Maltese islands.

The book is available online at NHBS and BDL amongst others.