Chatham Islands, New Zealand

The cup's recipient is decided each year by the Minister of Conservation. The Hon Steve Chadwick described Ms Baird's achievement as outstanding. "Ms Baird is responsible for a total of 15% of New Zealand's most vulnerable native plant species. Her efforts have resulted in huge gains in the protection of native flora of the Chatham Islands; referred to by some as ‘the threatened plant capital of New Zealand".

Since settling permanently in the Chatham Islands twelve years ago, Ms Baird has been at the forefront of the Mangere Island Nature Reserve restoration project. Mangere Island Nature Reserve is home to many rare plants and animals, including Cook's scurvy grass, Dieffenbach's speargrass and the black robin.

A staggering 70,000 native seedlings have been planted in what is described as ‘one of the toughest restoration programme locations, logistically and environmentally, in New Zealand'.

Access to remote Mangere Island is via fishing boat. Ms Baird and her team have spent weeks at a time in harsh conditions transforming a once grass-covered land into an emerging native forest.

Mrs Chadwick also praised Ms Baird's commitment to building relationships with the local community. "Amanda has worked hard not only in the field but also in establishing relationships with the local community, both iwi and local landowners. The huge effort Amanda has put into these relationships has been a major catalyst in the establishment of a number of conservation covenants on the Chatham Islands".

Ms Baird has been directly involved in 19 Nature Heritage Fund projects to covenant a total of 2,071 hectares of private land with high conservation values on the Chathams, and initial funding for the re-vegetation programme on Mangere Island Nature Reserve.

An achievement Ms Baird is particularly proud of was obtaining funding for fencing and ongoing maintenance of fences around the protected areas. "The environment is so corrosive that it's an ongoing and costly battle keeping fences maintained. However without them, the plants would never survive".

The cup is awarded annually to the person, group of people, or organisation which has excelled all other nominees in furthering the aims and objects of the donor of the cup - Gerald Loder.  Loder's was introduced to this country's unique and distinctive flora during his first visit to New Zealand in 1886. He was captivated, and became an enthusiastic collector. Over a period of time he developed an outstanding selection of New Zealand and southern hemisphere plants on his estate in Surrey, England. In 1926 he donated a cup to encourage and honour New Zealanders who work to investigate, promote, retain and cherish New Zealand's indigenous flora. Gerald Loder became Lord Wakehurst in 1934. He remained passionately involved with what he called our "incomparable flora" until his death in 1936.