His interest and the conservation work that it has resulted in has been recognised with the 2010 Wingspan New Zealand Raptor Award.
Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust chairman Noel Hyde said it was the endless hours of dedication of people like Mr Lawrence that helped increase knowledge of the threatened falcons, and contributed to the comeback of the spectacular birds.
"This is a prime example of why community involvement of species conservation is so important."
The award was a "big surprise" to Mr Lawrence, who was a life member of the trust.
While it was nice to have the work recognised, it was not just his work, as others had helped with the conservation work, he said.
"They're a great bird to observe. They're spectacular in flight, bold. It's become a passion."
Mr Lawrence spent many years surveying and monitoring falcon nesting sites in the Wellington area where he lived, discovering they survived and bred well close to the city despite problems with people deliberately shooting them.
In 1994, he initiated the five-year national falcon distribution survey and had authored and co-authored various scientific papers on the birds.
He also worked to rehabilitate injured falcons and was involved in the captive breeding of falcons to allow their off-spring to be released into the wild.
When transferred to Dunedin for his job with AgResearch, Mr Lawrence continued his work with falcons, this time surveying their numbers in the city's pine forests.
"They're breeding successfully but there's not a large number of them."
He was collaborating with forestry companies to identify breeding sites so they could avoid milling there, Mr Lawrence said.
"People in Otago recognise it as an Otago iconic species like tussocks or skinks; there is an appreciation of them."
