Source: Northland Regional Council
A Northland Regional Council botanist has received a national award from the New Zealand Botanical Society to acknowledge her outstanding contribution and work over a more than 40-year career.
Council’s Biodiversity Manager Lisa Forester was officially presented with the ‘Allan Mere award’ at a ceremony in Auckland last night. (subs: Weds 07 October).
Ms Forester says she is humbled and grateful to receive the award, which over its 40-plus years, has been presented to a who’s who of botanists – both professional and amateur – in New Zealand.
“I’m also a little surprised because there are so many other passionate people I really look up to who have done so much for botany in this country.”
“I’ve been really fortunate over my career to enjoy some fantastic support and mentoring from other botanists.” “Botanists tend to be very connected right across NZ and the world and collaborate and look after one another.”
Ms Forester says it’s also important to acknowledge that much of the work she does is on private or Māori land and there has been a huge amount of associated support from community, landowners and hapū.
Regional councillor Jack Craw, who chairs council’s Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party, says the award is an outstanding achievement and reflects years of dedicated work with Northland’s plants and biodiversity.
“I’m very pleased to see Lisa’s hard work recognised in this way and the fact it is her peers offering that recognition adds an extra dimension.” “Her knowledge, passion and willingness to share what she knows will continue to make a lasting difference, not only to the region’s biodiversity but the people working to protect it.”
“Lisa has not only worked assiduously to protect Northland’s rare native fauna, she has actually discovered several new plant species and subspecies.” “She is so deserving of this prestigious award.”
The mere – a traditional pounamu hand club – at the centre of Ms Forester’s award was originally presented to the former DSIR Botany Division by the late Dr Lucy Moore in 1982 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Harry Howard Allan – the first Director of the former DSIR Botany Division.
It was Dr Moore’s intention the award be presented – not necessarily annually – to those staff members who had made the most significant contribution to New Zealand botany.
With the demise of the DSIR Botany Division in 1992 the mere was passed over to the New Zealand Botanical Society in 1999. The society now awards, on much the same basis as Dr Moore had intended, to those candidates nominated by regional botanical societies.
Ms Forester says the Allan Mere itself will remain on permanent display in the entrance to the Allan Herbarium at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research in Lincoln.
Caption for image ‘Allan Mere Lisa F – 20261007’
Anthony Wright, President of the New Zealand Botanical Society, presents Lisa Forester with the Allan Mere award in Auckland yesterday (Weds 07 October).