PN. WE ARE HERE
TESTING THE TRAIL Community enjoying the recently upgraded Smith Creek Trail in Craigmore.
Connecting with nature. Beautiful green shaded spaces add to the value of any community, and we have some stellar spaces in Playford for you to connect with nature. One of those spaces is the Smith Creek Trail, a family-friendly shared path that winds its way along the creek from Craigmore to Stebonheath Park at Andrews Farm. It is perfect for walking, scooting and cycling and thanks to the support of a State Government grant, 11 hectares of the trail were upgraded in late 2020. Jo Park, Project Manager, said the upgrades will have longer term benefits for both the environment and residents. “It’s a huge natural space to manage, but by identifying the areas with the highest heat footprint, we can cool them down and improve the biodiversity with select understorey planting,” Jo said. The planting has been undertaken in ‘pods’, under established trees along the trail. These grouped plantings are expected to improve soil and weed control, reduce pests, protect fauna, cool the area and encourage more people to use the space. The shared path is now wheelchair-accessible, key areas have been mulched and in addition to the 4,000 plus plants which are already in, there will be future planting of more advanced trees in the Craigmore section to increase tree canopy shading along the trail over time. PAGE 16 | playford.sa.gov.au
