Recipients
View recipients of the Charles Fleming Award for environmental achievement.
Recent recipients
The 2022 Charles Fleming Award for Environmental Achievement has been awarded to Professor Ann Brower, University of Canterbury, for pioneering interdisciplinary research that challenged the foundations of high country tenure review, and catalysed legislative reform to improve the conservation of New Zealand’s unique landscapes and biodiversity.
Loss of habitat is an ongoing threat to native biodiversity. Almost singlehandedly, Ann discovered that a quiet administrative process (tenure review of Crown leasehold land), over large land areas, was delivering negative biodiversity outcomes at high cost to the taxpayer. Few academics can say their work has protected 5% of New Zealand's landmass.
Ann's legacy of science-led legislative change will protect the ecological integrity of the South Island high country. Using economics, law, politics, and ecology, her research helps combat species loss globally and locally, improving mechanisms for evaluating and protecting habitats.
The 2019 Charles Fleming Award for Environmental Achievement has been awarded to Professor David Towns from Auckland University of Technology.
In the course of his nearly 40 years working in New Zealand environmental science, David has contributed to three fields: ecology and taxonomy of freshwater mayflies; conservation of rare reptiles; and the restoration of island ecosystems. The latter in particular has led to collaborations with iwi and community groups.
David Towns' talk: Secret lives on seabird islands
Previous recipients
| 2016 | Bruce Clarkson for his work advancing and communicating understanding of native plant ecology and vegetation pattern and process, informing conservation efforts in terrestrial, freshwater and urban environments, and supporting effective on-the-ground restoration practice. View video of talk given for winning this award: Urban ecological restoration: the new frontier? |
| 2013 | Michael Joy for his key contribution he has made to the sustainable management and protection of New Zealand’s freshwater resources. View video of talk given for winning this award: The demise of New Zealand’s freshwaters: politics and science. |
| 2010 | Alan Mark for his work exploring and illuminating the ecology of southern ecosystems, in particular tussock grasslands, wetlands and alpine communities, through many highly influential publications. He is regarded as New Zealand’s leading environmental scientist and conservationist |
| 2007 | Mick Clout for his work including the role of birds in forest regeneration, the effective control of invasive species (including possums), and the conservation of birds themselves |
| 2004 |
Stephen Michael Dawson Elisabeth Slooten |
| 2001 | John Lawrence Craig |
| 1998 | David A. Thom |
| 1995 | Brian P. J. Molloy |
| 1992 | Ian A. E. Atkinson |
| 1989 | Donald Merton for his outstanding efforts in the field of saving endangered species. The Royal New Zealand Forest and Bird Protection Society provided a special corporate award for launch of prize. |