Wellington Botanical Society Jubilee Award

Wellington Botanical Society invites applications for an Award of up to $2600 to encourage and assist applicants to increase knowledge of the New Zealand’s indigenous flora, and to commemorate the 50th Jubilee of the Society in 1989.

Purpose of the Award :   The Award is open to anyone working in New Zealand.   It will be granted for: field work; artistic endeavour; publication; research; propagation or cultivation of New Zealand native plants for educational purposes and / or other studies which promote the better understanding of New Zealand’s indigenous flora and vegetation.

The interpretation of these conditions will be flexible, except that the main criterion will be the furtherance of knowledge or promotion of the intrinsic value of the New Zealand’s indigenous flora and vegetation.

The Award may be used to defray costs such as travel, accommodation, materials or publication.

Applications for the Award :   Applications should be made in typescript to:
Secretary, Wellington Botanical Society Inc., PO Box 10 412, Wellington 6143, or by e-mail to Secretary wellingtonbotsocsecretary (at) gmail.com, by 2 September each year.

There is no prescribed application form, but the following must be provided:
•   the applicant’s name;
•   postal address, telephone number and e-mail address;
•   any relevant position held;
•   a summary statement of the applicant’s accomplishments in the field of botany - no more than one page;
•   an outline and timetable for the project for which the Award is sought;
•   a proposed budget for the project.

Selection :   The Award will be made to one or more applicants selected by a subcommittee nominated by the general committee of Wellington Botanical Society.   Award(s) will be made, and applicants informed of the results in writing, by 6 October.

Successful applicants will be required to provide, at an agreed time, a short report on what they have achieved, and an account of their expenditure of Award funds.

The names of the Award recipients, the value of the Award(s), and a synopsis of the project(s) will be published in the Annual Report of Wellington Botanical Society.

Lea Robertson, Treasurer

Donations to the Jubilee Award

The committee is seeking donations to increase the value of the Jubilee Award Fund and the annual award from this fund.

The Jubilee Award was set up in 1990.   This Award, originally set at $1,000 each year, is to assist and encourage persons who have demonstrated their commitment to work on the indigenous flora of New Zealand and who intend to persevere in that area.

Inflation has lowered the real value of the award and in 2004 the Committee increased the annual award to $2,000 and to $2,500 in 2007, and $2,600 in 2013.

Each year small donations and plant sales have supplemented the interest earned on the fund which in 2004 stood at a little over $32,000.   Interest earnings on this are expected to be about $1,750 in the coming year.   In 2009 the Jubilee Fund stood at nearly $54,500 with annual interest earnings of $3,300

We are making this appeal for contributions to the Jubilee Award Fund, in order to increase the value of the fund and be able to maintain a worthwhile annual award.

The Society is exempt from tax and in May 2004 was approved for charitable exemption.   As a consequence, donations to the Society of $5.00 or more by an individual taxpayer qualify for a rebate of income tax equal to one-third of the donation.   This is within the limits set by income tax laws.   Gifts to the Society are also exempt from Gift Duty.   In June 2007 the Society became registered with the Charities Commission under the Charities Act 2005.

Much botanical research work is under threat because of the redirection of government funding.   Over the years of its existance the Society’s Jubilee Award has assisted with taxonomic studies and publications.

The 2003 award was made to David J Galloway and assisted with the publication of the much-needed revised edition of the Lichen Flora.

The 2005 award was made to Rilka Taskova, VUW Post-doctoral Fellow, to assist with her research to provide a new chemical approach to assess the phylogeny and evolution of genus Heliohebe and its relationship with other members of the Hebe complex

Contributions should be made to the Wellington Botanical Society Inc., PO Box 10 412, Wellington 6143.   Receipts will be provided for tax purposes.

Rodney Lewington, Treasurer