Our conference awards dinner kicked off with the presentation of the inaugural Carol Fraser Industry Training Award aka the Fraser Award.
The award was established in July by the family of the late Carol Fraser of Growing Spectrum to honour Carol’s extremely active role in industry training and the professional development of plant producers.
Carol’s son Michael paid tribute to his mother on the night, outlining the why the three criteria for the award were chosen.
“Mum was a teacher, not only at the front of the classroom but sitting around the dining table, next to a stranger on a plane or at an awards dinner. Conversation would always find its way to what your learning interests were and how you were pursuing learning in life. So, the first criteria for the award is a love of learning.”
“Mum had a passion for plants. We spent our lives with Mum critiquing and celebrating planting combinations: textures, colour form, contrast, how appropriate plants were for different landscapes and environments. Once Mum started her school of horticulture we learned of her thirst to learn and share botany, plant ID and propagation. So, the second criteria for the award is a passion for plants.”
“As children we toured nearly every garden centre and nursery in New Zealand. Mum invested much of her time in coaching the nursery representative of the Young Horticulturalist of the Year and working with NZQA to improve the quality and credibility of industry standards. Mum wanted pathways for young people to thrive in the industry. So, the third criteria for the award is engagement within the nursery industry.”
Michael then announced the Fraser Award winner Danielle McBride, our 2021 Young Achiever and Production and Procurement Manager at Rural Design.
The award is for $3000 donated by NZPPI and Growing Spectrum. Michael encouraged Dani to use the award to further her study, buy books about plants or landscapes and travel to gardens and garden centres.
“This was how Mum loved to learn and it is a privilege to now offer this to someone else. Danielle impressed us with her passion for plants, describing the fickle problems propagating rimu, yet the delight at getting successful germination and the importance of rimu in providing kokako habitat."
Danielle has great vision for reaching out to secondary schools to promote the range if careers and opportunity in the horticulture industry. We were delighted to hear that Danielle is participating in a women in leadership course through Outward Bound. Danielle gave thoughtful and mature insight into her leadership style based on coaching and shared learning."
"Danielle, we know Mum would have relished meeting you, you would have connected on so many topics and Mum would have been proud to see you receive this award”