He was part of the management team of an ethical trade organisation and consultant editor with liberal and pro-environment newspaper MaltaToday.
A former Friends of the Earth Malta activist, Manduca never feared to express his concerns in a country where the urban sprawl has eaten away most of the natural terrain, criticising adverse political decisions that favoured building magnates rather than the silent countryside.
His loss was the second in a short spell amongst committed Maltese environmentalists, following the demise of Greenpeace activist Maggie Borg.
Maltese rock band Dripht dedicated their album Global Warning to both environmentalists.
In 2006, Malta Today launched the Julian Manduca Award, for cultural, literary and environmental endeavours.