Diana Six

I am a scientist and artist. As a scientist, I study symbioses from the genetic and microbial levels to the landscape level, most often using forest insects (mainly bark beetles) and their interactions with microbes as models. Much of my work in recent years has been investigating whether our natural forests have the capacity to adapt to a changing climate as well as increasing alterations by humans. My research has been conducted in North America, Africa, and Europe, which has allowed me to experience a wide range of cultures and ecosystems and encounter the loss of nature at a global scale. I began my career as an ecologist because I was excited to unravel the mysteries of nature and tell stories of life. However, now I find I am reporting less on life and more on death. I moved at some point from being an ecologist to being a coroner, documenting the loss of life of Earth (see interview here https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/21/climate-crisis-glacier-diana-six-ecologist). This shift in jobs has not settled well with me. I now use art as a way of expressing my grief, either through anger, more subtly expressed sadness, or to celebrate the beauty that remains.