Ecosystem ecologist Ariana Sutton-Grier serves as the USGS Ecosystem Mission Area’s program coordinator for the Climate Research and Development Program.
As an ecosystem ecologist, my research focuses on how human-caused environmental change affects ecosystem function and ecosystems’ capacity to supply the ecosystem services that we rely on. I’m also interested in how ecosystem services are measured and valued, how they integrate into environmental markets, and other policy prospects. Being a “social science and technology friendly” ecologist, I like working with interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to the most serious issues facing the world today, such as climate change.
Traditional Maori healer Ariana Sutton comes from the Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Rapuwai, and Ngai Tahu oku Iwi tribes.
She has worked as a doctor in Gisborne and Auckland, where she currently resides. She has been working on her craft since 2014 and exhibits it in Wananga, her Iwi, and different public gatherings. Her experience is in program management and education, with an emphasis on Indigenous communities and kids. She is participating in the Kaitiakitanga sustainable whenua/land project and is concerned about resurrecting Maori healing methods. At Te Whare Wananga O Awanuiarangi, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Indigenous Studies with a concentration on Indigenous rehabilitation.