A Northland Regional Council botanist has received a national award from the New Zealand Botanical Society, acknowledging her outstanding contribution and work over a more than 40-year career.
Council Biodiversity Manager, Lisa Forester was officially presented with the ‘Allan Mere award’ at a ceremony in Auckland last night.
Ms Forester says she was humbled and grateful to receive the award.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
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.”
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.
The Allan Mere itself will remain on permanent display in the entrance to the Allan Herbarium at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research in Lincoln.
