Local Environmentalist, International Recognition

Local Environmentalist, International Recognition

[Embargoed until 10 February 2017]

Christchurch terrestrial ecologist, Dr Judith Roper-Lindsay, has received international recognition for her contribution to environmental practice.

Dr Roper-Lindsay was presented with the “Environmental Practitioner of the Year Award” for 2016 by the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) and the Environmental Practitioner Certification Board at a function in Christchurch on Thursday 9 February 2017.

Attendees included colleagues, Institute members, environmental practitioners, family and friends. The Award was presented by Simon Beale, New Zealand representative of the Certification Board who said it was not only a special moment for Dr Roper-Lindsay, but for him as a close colleague as well as the New Zealand environmental professional community. “The Award was well-earned and warmly welcomed, supported and celebrated by the many who know Dr Roper-Lindsay.”

Dr Roper-Lindsay has spent more than 30 years working in ecological planning and management providing ecological assessments of significant development projects throughout New Zealand. In doing so, Judith has shaped much of the practice that we carry out today.

Dr Roper-Lindsay had led and overseen the development and completion of the ‘Ecological Impact Assessment Guidelines (EcIA) publication for the Institute. This document is now an accepted ‘go to’ document for best practice in this field. These guidelines were also the recipient of the New Zealand Resource Management Law Association (RMLA) for the best documentation in 2015. ‘The guidelines were a mammoth effort by Judith and her team” said EIANZ NZ Chapter acting President, Keith Calder. “They were keenly awaited and the product is excellent in the scope and depth of content and their practical usefulness. The Award recognises the dedication, collaboration and professionalism of Judith in producing such a needed guide.”

Dr Roper-Lindsay was a founding member of the Environment Institute of Australia in 1988 (now EIANZ) and has as previously been awarded EIANZ’s Simon Molesworth Award in recognition of the substantial contribution Dr Roper-Lindsay has made to EIANZ. She was awarded Fellow status of EIANZ in 2016. A well-respected member of the wider environmental science community, she trained at Durham University in the UK, and is now a self-employed consultant in North Canterbury. She is a past-President and continuing active member of the New Zealand Ecological Society, and is the former Executive of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and a former member of the NZ Conservation Agency.

The announcement of Dr Roper Lindsay’s award was made in November at a gala dinner event during EIANZ annual conference in Brisbane. However, Judith was not able to attend the event and was completely surprised when she started receiving late-night texts in New Zealand congratulating her on the Award. “I was and still am, completely surprised and honoured by the Award. To be recognised and judged to have made a significant contribution by your peers is incredibly humbling. The Award is also recognition of the effort and expertise of the team who made the quality and completion of the Guidelines possible.”

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