NZAA Ronald Flook Award

The NZAA Ronald Flook Award is an award given to elevate and recognise high standards of practice in Arboriculture, including tree raising, tree health and management, and amenity tree protection or design. The recipients have demonstrated exceptional management of trees, whether functional or aesthetic in any stage of development.

The NZAA have named this award after well-known, Nelson-based Landscape Architect Ron Flook for his tireless contribution to Arboriculture in NZ through the Notable Trees Scheme and the Development of the Standard Tree Evaluation Method (STEM).

The award also recognises the high standard of his professional work and the way he used trees as significant features in his landscape designs.

Nominations are called for in March of each year with the successful nominee notified in August.

History
This award was established in 1994. The purpose was to create an award for the development of arboricultural design in New Zealand. This was seen as having much potential for the fledgling NZAA as it grew in stature in the public domain. The Award was to draw public and media attention to the NZAA. Further, recognising excellence in any field of endeavour is fundamental to the role of any professional organisation, and none more so than arboriculture.

While the early emphasis of the award was for design in arboriculture, in 2006 this was broadened to also include acknowledging excellence across the field of arboriculture.

The award was first presented in Dunedin, at the joint conference of the RNZIH and the NZAA in 1994, by Frank Buddingh’ Past president of the NZAA. He was the originator of the award that was approved by the Executive at that time. He had a trophy made at his own expense, which included a bone carving to be presented to the recipient. It was named after Ron Flook; well known to arborists as a firm supporter of the NZAA since its inception in Hamilton, in 1989. In his design work as a landscape architect, he was responsible for many urban open space and tree planting projects at a national level. Historically, Ron paid for the bone carving and donated a cheque to the recipient. Following Ron’s death in 2006, Frank Buddingh’ has graciously covered the cost of the carving, while a $250 cheque is gifted from Cindy Flook.

The trophy is presented at the NZAA Annual Awards ceremony.

Recipients