TRIP REPORT : Gibbs Covenant and Butterfly Creek

  Saturday 6 November 2004 :   Gibbs Covenant and Butterfly Creek

On a fine, calm morning we gathered outside George and Keena’s home admiring their beautiful garden of native species, while George described the process of covenanting and managing this extensive, Eastbourne ecosystem.   Soon we made our way up the slope, enjoying an expansive view over the harbour.   Trackside, under a canopy of beech and manuka were several Pittosporum rigidum, a puzzle for some until they scraped the bark and used the smell test, or later saw the tiny, black-purple, pendulous flowers like miniature karo flowers, confirming the genus Pittosporum.   The two mingimingis Leptecophylla juniperina and Leucopogon fasciculatus were common under the beeches.   Flowering on the bush margin were Diplodium (Pterostylis) trullifolium.   The carnivorous Drosera auriculata, the dainty fern Lindsaea linearis, and the sedge Lepidosperma australe were uncommon.   At our scroggin stop Owen added Grammitis ciliata.   As we climbed, George cleared the Timms traps which must be keeping possums well under control, because shortly we were admiring a large, unbrowsed mistletoe, Ileostylus micranthus.   George has propagated from this mistletoe, achieving success after many attempts.   At our lunch spot near the ridge, we sat among plentiful tufts of Libertia edgariae, its flowers comparitively large for these little plants.   The Gibbs covenant is a stronghold of this taxon named after botanist Elizabeth Edgar.   In this vicinity were a few delicate, pink Caladenia aff. carnea orchids, and tufts of flowering Drymoanthus adversus.   On our descent eastward to Butterfly Creek we noted a matai which we estimated to be many hundreds of years old.   A bare area under karaka trees appeared to have been frequented by pigs foraging for fruit on the ground.   Discussion centred on whether pigs would be susceptible to karakin, the poison in the fruit.   As we returned down the western side of the ridge we noted several, beautiful, blue-purple, spotted-flowered Thelymitra (T. nervosa? = decora) trackside.   Many thanks to George and Keena for a fascinating day botanising their covenant.

Participants :   Bie Baker, Rosie Doole, George (leader) and Keena Gibbs, Ian Goodwin, John and Margaret Harper, Jan Heine, Richard Herbert, Dave Holey, Chris Hopkins, Chris Horne, Gordon and Sheelagh Leary, Frank Yonghong Li, Barbara Mitcalfe (scribe), David Moss, Alicia and Lilly Moss-Baker, Donella Moss, Owen Spearpoint, Mick Parsons, Joyce Stretton.