Loder Cup Award

What is the Loder Cup?

The Loder Cup honours outstanding achievements in flora conservation work. Gerald Loder donated the Loder Cup in 1926 to "encourage and honour New Zealanders who work to investigate, promote, retain and cherish our indigenous flora". The Minister of Conservation awards the Loder Cup to a person or group of people who best represent the objectives of the Cup, to celebrate their outstanding conservation work in New Zealand.

Who can the Minister of Conservation award the Loder Cup to?

The Minister of Conservation can award the Loder Cup to any person or group of people who are put forward by one of the nominating organisations.

Loder Cup nominations are valid for two years unless withdrawn by the nominating body. Unsuccessful nominations will be reconsidered the following year.

Who can nominate a person or group of people for the Loder Cup?

Each of these organisations may nominate one person or one group of people for the Loder Cup:

• Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture and any affiliated society
• Royal Society of New Zealand and any affiliated society
• Any university in New Zealand
• Nursery and Garden Industry Association
• New Zealand Recreation Association and any affiliated society
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand and any affiliated society
• New Zealand Conservation Authority and any Conservation Board
• New Zealand Botanical Society
• Any private person through one of the organisations listed above

Affiliated societies must specify which nominating organisation they are linked to.

How to nominate a person or group of people for the Loder Cup

To nominate a person or group of people you must:

• Request a nomination form by contacting: Karen Upton, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10-420, Wellington 6143, +64 4 471 0726.
• Complete the nomination form.
• Prepare and collate these documents to support your nomination:
• • a letter of recommendation/nomination statement
  • an outline of achivements demonstrating outcomes
  • a brief cv for a nominated individual, or a detailed description of the work of a nominated group
  • extra materials eg, references, letters of support and articles.
• Send the original nomination form and supporting documents, and nine copies of all, to: Karen Upton, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10-420, Wellington 6143, before the closing date for nominations, 5 pm 31 May 2012.

If the person or group you have nominated wins the Loder Cup, you will need to organise a celebration for the winner's family, friends and colleagues, so the Minister of Conservation can present the cup.

Guidelines for the letter of recommendation/nomination statement

The letter of recommendation/nomination statement must:

• be written by the nominating organisation.
• be no longer than two A4 pages.
• include a statement about why the nominee's work qualifies for a Loder Cup nomination - outlining achievements with clear demonstration of outcomes.
• explain how the nominee's work meets Gerald Loder's objective to "encourage and honour New Zealanders who work to investigate, promote, retain and cherish New Zealand's indigenous flora".

The Loder Cup's history

Gerald Loder was captivated by our indigenous flora on his first visit to New Zealand in 1886. Over many years Gerald collected a large selection of New Zealand and Southern Hemisphere flora to plant on his estate in Surrey, England.

In 1926 Gerald donated a cup to encourage and honour New Zealanders who investigate, promote, retain and cherish our indigenous flora. Gerald Loder became Lord Wakehurst in 1934. He was passionately involved with our "incomparable flora" until his death in 1936.

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