The International Peat Society Award of Excellence
The IPS Award of Excellence was launched in 2005 and is annually conferred on a member of the International Peat Society for a distinguished contribution in any sector of peatland activities.
Call for Proposals 2012
The € 1,000 IPS Award of Excellence can now be presented also to projects and groups for any peat and peatland activity. Proposals can be sent by letter or email to the IPS Secretariat, or easily submitted directly on the IPS website – including the contact details of the applying person and the nominee(s) plus an explanation why the Award should be given to that special person, group or project. All proposals are reviewed by the IPS Executive Board in March and the Award is presented at the IPS Annual Assembly in Stockholm in June. Deadline for nominations is strictly 31 January 2012.
New Terms of Reference 2012:
For a distinguished contribution by a single person, group or project in any sector of peatland activities.
Award
A framed scroll and a cash prize of total € 1,000.
Application Deadline
31 January of every year. Nominations are valid only for the year they are submitted in.
Application
Nominations can be sent in for single persons, groups or projects. Submissions can be made by a written letter or online at the IPS website (link on the left), containing:
- Name and contact details of the submitting person/organisation
- Name and contact details of the candidate for the Award
- Reasons why the Award should be given to that person/group/project
Selection Committee
The decision on the Award winner is made by the IPS Executive Board by simple majority decision. The award shall be presented annually unless the IPS Executive Board considers that no suitable candidate has been nominated.
Presentation
The award shall be presented annually at the Annual Assembly of IPS.
Dr. Line Rochefort Winner of the IPS Award of Excellence 2011!
The IPS Award of Excellence 2011 went to Dr. L
ine Rochefort of Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
Prof. Rochefort holds a PhD and is a full Professor at the University’s Department of Plant Sciences. In addition, she has been holding the Industrial Research Chair for Peatland Management (Natural Science and Engineering Research, NSERC) since 2003, mainly specializing in peatland restoration. Her scientific activities include restoration ecology, peatlands ecology (fen and bogs), Sphagnum biology, bryophyte ecology, ecosystem experiments, plant-soil interactions in mosses, ecosystem rehabilitation and Sphagnum farming.
She is actively collaborating with the Canadian peat industry for peatland restoration after peat extraction in fens and bogs, for berry and tree production on peatlands, for Sphagnum farming and recently with oil sands companies researching ways to recreate fens after the decommission of sites, and with polymetallic mining companies to restore peatlands-wetlands for their filtration capacities.
Last but not least, Dr. Rochefort works as expert advisor for different levels of government in Canada and within the Canadian provinces where peatlands are involved, including departments of agriculture, forestry, environment, natural resources and transport. For the IPS, Dr. Line Rochefort was Chair of Commission V on “Restoration, rehabilitation and after-use of peatlands” for many years, has organised numerous conferences, symposia and workshops on different peatland matters and had a large share in editing the IPS guide to organising scientific events.
The IPS Award of Excellence was launched in 2005 and comprises of a framed scroll and a cash prize of € 1000. Nominations for the Award can be submitted by all members to the IPS Secretariat by 31 January of each year. The Executive Board of IPS will review the Terms of Reference in autumn to make the application process easier.
The 2011 Award of Excellence of IPS was handed over at the festive banquet of the Symposium on Responsible Peatland Management and Growing Media Production in Québec on 15 June 2011. Our warmest congratulations!
Laureate 2010
The IPS Award of Excellence 2010 was conferred on Mr. Gerald Schmilewski from Germany, who was nominated by the Dutch National Committee of IPS for his long-term commitment to the Society and his many activities, bringing truly science and industry together. The Award was presented during the Annual Assembly of IPS in Jyväskylä in June.
Laureate 2009
The IPS Award of Excellence 2009 was conferred on Dr. Timo Nyrönen from Finland. The official ceremony took place at the Annual Assembly in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 26 April 2009. The Award was handed over to Dr. Nyrönen in Jyväskylä in early June by the the Chair of the Finnish Peatland Society, the IPS Secretary General and Communications Manager.
Laureate 2008
The IPS Award of Excellence - Wim Tonnis Peat Award 2008 was conferred during the IPS Annual Assembly in Tullamore, Ireland at the International Peat Congress 2008 to to Mrs. Riitta Korhonen. IPS expresses its warmest congratulations.
Laureate 2007
The Wim Tonnis Peat Award 2007 was announced on 26 May 2007 on the IPS Annual Assembly in Riga to go to Mr Hartmut Falkenberg.
Laureates 2006
The Wim Tonnis Peat Award 2006 was conferred in Hannover, Germany, on 6 May 2006 to Dr. Hans Joosten and Mr. Donal Clarke.
