Trip Report – 3 June 2017 :   Silversky Track, Crofton Downs

Blechnum parrisiae. Illustration: Eleanor Burton.

A small group of BotSoccers met at the end of Silverstream Road, Crofton Downs to botanise the relatively new Silversky Track.   The track links the end of Silverstream Road with Downing Street, Chartwell, and the Transpower road that follows the power pylons up to the Skyline Walkway on the Outer Green Belt’s Te Wharangi Ridge.

The reserve of 3.7 hectares was gifted to Wellington City Council in 2012 by the developer of the Downing Street housing development.   The Silversky Track, primarily developed for mountain bikers, runs through the reserve.   At the time of the Downing Street development the developer did some native tree planting - many of these trees are a welcome addition to the more recent plantings.

It was a short relatively walk through pleasant regenerating forest.   We observed the huge effort that has gone into the recent plantings and the removal of buddleia and old man’s beard.   Much of the area is still covered by gorse which will be overtopped as the native species develop.   It was great to see a single, large totara in the reserve.   We saw several Blechnum parrisiae, formerly Doodia australis.

It was noted that Plagianthus regius (lowland ribbonwood) has been planted; the tree is endemic to New Zealand, but is not naturally occurring in Wellington.

The plant list, originally prepared in 2015, has been updated with several additions including plantings of matai, nikau, titoki, hinau, kanuka and pukatea.   We added several ferns, including, Asplenuim gracillimum, Blechnum membranaceum, and B. novae-zelandiae.   The list has been sent to Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and NZ Plant Conservation Network.

Asplenium gracillimum. Photo: Jeremy Rolfe.

Participants : Bryan Halliday, Chris Hopkins, Chris Horne, Jane Humble, David Willyams, co-leaders: Chris Moore (scribe), Richard Grasse.