Kathryn Busby

Recording Secretary

Kathryn Busby grew up surrounded by green things in Austin, TX, where the humid air and plentiful sun ensures life springs out of sidewalk cracks and fences. She learned to look for the beauty in how tiny things fit together, especially in plant-insect interactions.

This led her to study studio art and ecology at The University of Texas, where she connected to the natural world through both art and scientific research.

She was first introduced to the desert Southwest and the ecology of Sky Islands through a job at McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains. As her interest in desert ecology deepened, she decided to continue her education, earning a PhD in the ecology of

native desert bees at The University of Arizona. During this time, she continually produced science art, illustrated her own research, and completed the Nature Illustration Certificate Program from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s Art Institute. She also built skills in data visualization, which she now combines with traditional illustration to depict scientific concepts and portray the specifics of ecological partnerships. She has used these techniques to illustrate her own research, to develop teaching tools for all ages, and to contribute educational displays to events and museum exhibits. She expanded her work through a biological role with the US Geological Survey, and now is actively involved in volunteering for the Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute.

Since she joined GNSI in 2018, Kathryn has become increasingly committed to using illustration to enrich our understanding of the world. She has benefited firsthand from the resources offered by GNSI, and is delighted to have the opportunity to give back by serving this valuable organization. The skills she has built in technology, communication, and organization over the past 15 years have prepared her to serve in the role of Secretary for GNSI. In this role, she aims to help the organization operate smoothly and efficiently to serve its members’ needs.