Allan Mere Award 2013 goes to Dr John Braggins
Dr John Braggins, Bryologist, Auckland has been awarded the 2013 New Zealand Botanical Society Allan Mere. The Allan Mere is New Zealand’s premier award given only to those botanists who have made outstanding and dedicated contributions to the field of botany in this country. The award, a pounamu (nephrite) mere was initiated by the late Dr Lucy Moore as an internal award for staff of the former DSIR Botany Division (now part of Landcare Research). With the demise of Botany Division the award was taken over by the New Zealand Botanical Society at the instigation of the late Dr Peter Wardle in 1999.
The nomination of Dr John Braggins by Prof. Peter de Lange and Assoc. Prof. Brian Murray was supported by three botanical societies, a host of John’s former students, colleagues and research associates and significantly the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network whose website is augmented by numerous high quality images of vascular plants and liverworts supplied by John.
John Braggins is a noted liverwort specialist who has probably done more than anyone else in nurturing an appreciation of these amazing plants - which are easily one of New Zealand’s more neglected plant groups”.
For more information about the Allan Mere Award:
NZ Botanical Society - Allan Mere Award
Posted: 11/09/2013