Edward Solomon Ayensu (1935–2023) is a distinguished Ghanaian scientist and leader in the fields of ecology, environmental science, and international development. He was a founding Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.
Ayensu was born in Sekondi in Western Region of Ghana, Ayensu obtained his doctorate from the University of London. His doctoral research considered the taxonomy of dioscorea flowering plants, and was appointed a visiting fellow at Wolfson College-Oxford.
In 1978, Ayensu became the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Biological Conservation, overseeing conservation activities and initiating new programs, including writing Endangered and Threatened Plants of the United States. Throughout his career, he held various leadership roles in African sciences, such as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science, Technology and Innovation (PACSTI) Ghana and President of the Pan-African Union for Science and Technology.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Edward S. Ayensu
There is no plant that is unimportant. The genetic information contained in the germ plasma of each species is unique and cannot be reproduced once the last living tissue is gone.
—Edward S. Ayensu
Topics: Wilderness
Leave a Reply