Ecology and tropical biology projects

During my undergraduate degree I worked in the lab of Paul Brakefield (PhD), together with Jeroen Pijpe (PhD) investigating longevity in Bicyclus anynana. I was a course assistant for Lino Paula (PhD) teaching bioethics courses and wrote several essays on that.

During my Msc degree (with honors, 2008) I started working as project assistant for the Leiden University Institute of Environmental Sciences, first as a course assistant for Hans the Iongh (PhD) in the Netherlands, and later with Jan van der Ploeg (PhD) and Merlijn van Weerd (PhD) for CVPED and the Mabuwaya foundation on crocodile ecology in the Philippines.

After this period I worked for the University of Amsterdam on a project mapping socio-economic changes and writing action plans focussing on sustainable alternative livelihoods in the peri-urban areas of Kumasi in Ghana.

For several years I worked together with Ashley Pearcy (PhD) and Frank D. Ross on crocodilian skull morphology, collecting data from museum collections and zoos in Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Leiden and Frankfurt.

In 2010 I moved to Kenya to work for Global Vision International together with the Kenya Wildlife Service on ecology and behavior of Angola Black and White Colobus and coastal forest conservation. Currently I am managing several conservation and research programes focusing amongst others on integrated science and conservation of Primates in East African Coastal forest, water and migratory birds, mangrove areas, cetaceans, turtles and marine parks.

My field-work experience includes: tagging, locating, gathering and analyzing telemetry data on large carnivores, bat trapping and tagging, behavioral studies on birds, crocodiles and primates, semi-controlled environment experiments with butterflies, mark-recapture with butterflies, moth collection and trapping, the use of various camera-traps and data-logging devices, GIS-mapping, flora identification, pollen identification and water quality assessment.

Ongoing (personal) projects and fields of interests include:

  • Diversity of lepidoptera (nocturidae) in Kenya
  • Extend of estivation in lepidoptera (diurnal) for Coastal species
  • Diversity and distribution of waterbirds and migratory species for the South Kenyan Coast
  • Mangrove species on the South Kenyan coast; possible climate change impact on species diversity, abundance and distribution
  • Heterogeneity of activity budgets in groups of Black and White Colobus (Colobus angolensis palliatus)
  • Plasticity within feeding patterns of Angola Black and White Colobus
  • Impacts of long term field studies on Primate Behavior
  • Risk-taking and avoidance in Black and White Colobus

Publications & Presentations

I’m trying to keep this list as comprehensive as possible.

  • Wijtten et al. (in press) Activity budgets of the Angola black-and-white Colobus (Colobus angolensis palliatus) in East African coastal forest. African Primates.
  • Wijtten Z., Swayne A. Density estimates, effects of forest degradation and conservation implications for the Zanj elephant shrew (Rhynchocyon petersi) in the coastal forests of Shimoni. Seventh WIOMSA Scientific Symposium. Oct 2011.
  • Pearcy A., Wijtten Z.. (2011) A morphometric analysis of crocodilian skull shapes. The Herpetological Journal 21: 213–218.
  • Pearcy A., Wijtten Z..(2010) Suggestions for photographing crocodile skulls for scientific purpose. Herpetological Review 41(4):445-447
  • Application of skull morphology to conservation of sympatric crocodillians. 20th Working Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist Group (oral presentation) Sept 2010.
  • International Conference on Archaeozoology, Paris, France (Oral presentation), Geometric Morphometrics in Archaeozoology, August 23-28, 2010
  • Pearcy A., Wijtten Z. (in progress) Physical characteristics defining niche advantages in Philippine crocodiles
  • Van de Ven et al. Effectiveness of head-starting to bolster Philippine crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis populations in San Mariano municipality, Luzon, Philippines , Conservation Evidence (2009) 6, 111- 116.
  • Adu-Ampong, E. et al., 2008. Socio-economic transitions; Changing livelihoods in the peri-urban interface. TSPA project report no. 147.
  • Workshop. Peri-urban development and land use. SYW Seminar. Breda, The Netherlands Oct 2008.
  • Wijtten, Z.A., (2008) The reintroduction of crocodiles into a modified habitat. Leiden University. (MSc Thesis).
  • Colloquium. A head start for the Philippine Crocodile. Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden, The Netherlands. Oct 2008.

Webdesign and development

I have been working (2007-2010) as visual designer based out of Amsterdam, specializing in online design, interactive design and print design. While working for a Dutch company, I made visual identities for government institutions, government projects and small businesses. From the side-line, I provided ideas for interactive campaigns, and new social media applications.

I enjoy visualizing ideas using Photoshop, Illustrator or Indesign and am well able to deliver front-end code.

Ideas and examples

Get in touch

Need work done, like to collaborate or just interested? Reach me at:

info@zenowijtten.nl

skype: Wijtten