Auke Hielkema collecting at Arapahu, Suriname, February-March 2011
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Being affected with a dominant pair of collector genes, I have been collecting things since I was able to pick them up. Noted targets have been world coins, fossils, and sea-shells. Since my father (Meindert Hielkema) is an avid amateur scarab collector, I have also been collecting those interesting creatures for as long as I remember.
After obtaining my bachelor’s degree as a tropical forester, I have been trying to find a warm and biologically rich place to live and work. For the last number of years, I have been so lucky as to stay in the South American country of Suriname. After working as the curator/manager of the local zoo for three years, I am now trying my luck as both an educational writer/editor and a consultant in biological research and ecotourism.
Together with my father, and with the full support of the National Zoological Collection of Suriname (NZCS) and some major institutions abroad, I am now working on a not-for-profit and (as yet) personally funded project that aims to collect and identify all scarabaeoid species throughout the country of Suriname, gathering ecological data as well. Our literature study so far revealed less than 200 species which are known specifically for Suriname. Based on our previous collecting efforts and comparisons with the other Guianas, we may assume that at least 500 different species should live here. Hence, quite some work yet to be done! |
