Welcome to Riverbytes, LLC

Hydrogeologist & Artist

Founder of Riverbytes, LLC

Maribeth Kniffin, PhD is a hydrogeologist and artist with a focus on community-based scientific research and practice. Her life’s work centers on creating balance and harmony between humans and ecosystems by observing, investigating, and understanding the molecule, flow, and nature of water. Dr. Kniffin integrates computational modeling of 3D groundwater and surface water systems, hydrological field work, laboratory analyses, and qualitative interviews to inform community-based scientific research and practice. Her qualitative approach to scientific investigation is grounded in narrative inquiry theory. She aims to relate through kindness and collaborate through friendship with scientists and non-scientists alike. Dr. Kniffin dedicates her life to co-creating paths for the human community to make choices that lead to health and collective wellbeing of water and landscapes. She has witnessed how present and timely decisions today are integral to present and future health and collective wellbeing of people and the planet - or not. Through reconciling her own challenges, she forges a way for herself and others to free themselves from the shame of perceived failures through the integration of art and science to reflect, learn, and grow in the hope that these small steps will contribute to a brighter, more resilient world. She is the author of forthcoming book Our Liquid Summary and made important contributions to the book The Art of Plant Evolution. To learn more about Dr. Kniffin’s research, please visit maribethkniffin.com.