Wanyoike Waimiti (ELP 2005) | East Africa Research and Monitoring Specialist, International Crane Foundation, Kenya

In December 2022, I received my doctorate degree in Biology of Conservation at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. My thesis was on the population, nesting habits and conservation status of the Endangered Grey Crowned Crane in Lake Ol' Bolossat basin. The lake is a small (43.3 sq km), little-known and highly threatened inland wetland in the central highlands of Kenya. The basin holds Kenya's second largest population of this African endemic species of crane, and is believed to have the highest number of breeding pairs across the species range. 

Since June 2023, I have transitioned from the National Museums of Kenya to take up the role of the East Africa Research and Monitoring Specialist at the International Crane Foundation based in Eldoret, western Kenya. It is really exciting to have to change a career after a cool two decades of specialisation on birds - to an even more focus on just one family: the lovely cranes, most of whose species are globally threatened.

This new role requires working with our project field staff in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, and hopefully soon entering DR Congo to build our capacity to enable us to collect, evaluate, and publish our work, share lessons learnt from various projects, and to guide our research and conservation activities. Jointly with others, this will help in securing the crane populations, protect their grassland and wetland habitats, and empower communities through education, health and livelihood support projects. These are our three but inseparable pillars. 

I will be glad to link up with any alumni in the region where our mutual interests may overlap.