Dr. Paul Alan Cox, a botanist who has won international recognition for his work in saving tropical rain forests in Samoa, has been appointed Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, directing four tropical botanical gardens and two preserves in the Hawaiian Islands and a small estate, The Kampong, in Coconut Grove, Florida. Dr. Cox has traveled extensively throughout Polynesia for his research in traditional native medicinal uses of plants and ethnobotany -- the study of economic and social uses of plants.

His work in preserving the Samoan rain forest was the subject of a film documentary, "Nafanua: Saving the Samoan Rain Forest," produced by Scandinature Films with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Dr. Cox also helped gain protective status for the Pacific flying foxes, pollinators and seed disseminators for some rare and important tropical plants.

He has specialized in research with traditional medicines, leading to a patent with the National Cancer Institution for an anti-HIV compound. He shared the Goldman Environmental Prize of $75,000 for his work in Western Samoa and is a prolific writer and international lecturer. He is the author of Nafanua, Saving the Samoan Rainforest, just published by W. H. Freeman.

Article copyright American Botanical Council.

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By Barbara A. Johnston