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Loder Cup nominations are valid for two years unless withdrawn by the nominating body.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

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: Brand and Campaign Advisor, 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
• a 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 two copies of the nomination form and two copies of the documents to support your nomination to: Brand and Campaign Advisor, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10-420, Wellington 6143, before the closing date for nominations, 5pm 26 May 2009.

What are the guidelines for the letter of recommendation?

Please follow these guidelines to write the letter of recommendation for your nomination:

• The nominating organisation must write the letter of recommendation.
• The letter of recommendation can be a maximum of two pages on A4 size paper.
• The letter of recommendation must include a statement about why the nominee’s work qualifies for a Loder Cup nomination.
• The letter of recommendation should 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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