Maggie Camillos

I research how to understand and visualize earth systems as living systems, exploring what constitutes a living system across a variety of world views, and how to incorporate this developing theory into earth systems science research and representation. I look at earth systems sciences, anticolonial geographic theory, indigenous epistemological frameworks, and various medicinal practices, as well as creative approaches to storytelling, cartographic representation and methodology. I am currently working on a case study of the Sierra Nevada mountains, in order to develop my process, theory, and learn how to relate to specific landscapes as living entities. I hope to share new ways of understanding our planet that expand our understanding of global interconnectivity and how to learn and live in harmony with the earth.

I grew up loving both art and the outdoors, and am dedicated to incorporating these passions into my research. As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, I majored in Geography with a focus on earth system science, and conducted a senior thesis on climate change mobilization, producing an illustrated essay on holistic environmental activism. I also conducted field work on environmental health and local indigenous knowledge of coastal subsistence fisheries in the Solomon Islands. Various personal health journeys have led me to learn deeply about bodily anatomy and integrative medicine practices, which I apply to my growing understanding of earth systems as living systems. Outside of my research, I love singing and making music, acting, backpacking, and traveling whenever I can.