Tauranga horticulturalist Mark Dean has been awarded one of the country's highest conservation honours, the prestigious Loder Cup for 2011.

The Loder Cup is awarded each year by the Minister of Conservation to acknowledge achievements in flora conservation. English botanist Gerald Loder donated the Loder Cup in 1926, to honour New Zealanders who work to retain, investigate and cherish New Zealand's incomparable flora.

Mark Dean. Photo supplied.

Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson says, 'Mark has made an outstanding contribution throughout his lifetime working in the horticulture industry. He has spent much of the past 30 years inspiring others as an advisor, teacher and role model both within the horticulture industry and in community conservation projects.

'Mark is a conservation champion and it is a pleasure to award him the Loder Cup on the first day of Conservation Week.

Mark was nominated for the award by the Nursery and Garden Industry Association.

In the late 1970s, Mark established a nursery business which later expanded and was named Naturally Native New Zealand Plants. It became one of the country's largest native nurseries.

Mark is currently the secretary of Trees for Survival, and chair of the Dune Restoration Trust of New Zealand. He has provided support around the country for setting up and running Maori native plant nurseries. He has been and is currently supporting a number of iwi and hapu projects.