Nelson botanist to receive Loder Cup award
Hon Tim Groser
Minister of Conservation
21 November 2009
Media Statement
Nelson botanist to receive Loder Cup award
Conservation Minister Tim Groser is to honour botanist Dr Philip Simpson by presenting him with New Zealand’s premier plant conservation award, the Loder Cup, at a ceremony in Nelson tonight.
Mr Groser says the Loder Cup award recognises Dr Simpson’s dedication to conserving and promoting New Zealand’s native plant life.
“Dr Simpson’s work is described as pioneering and visionary. He advocates for collaborative approaches to ecosystem restoration and recognises the value of involving communities in conservation work.
“Dr Simpson is an extremely worthy recipient of this prestigious award. His lifetime commitment to protecting indigenous flora and his work with communities makes him an outstanding advocate for conservation,” Mr Groser said.
Dr Simpson is also an award-winning author and a recent recipient of Creative New Zealand’s Michael King Writers’ Fellowship.
English botanist Gerald Loder donated the Loder Cup in 1926, to honour New Zealanders who work to ‘retain, investigate and cherish New Zealand’s incomparable flora’.
The Loder Cup is awarded each year by the Conservation Minister to acknowledge achievements in flora conservation.
ENDS