Kelsi Schwind joined us on the GEOTalks Podcast to explore how GIS technology can enable progress in conservation. We discussed the budding efforts to preserve the Texas Hill Country’s Bigtooth maple population, which is imperiled in this region. In our discussion, Kelsi highlighted how her automated method for extracting canyons has enabled her team to perform thorough research on Bigtooth maple communities and establish an automation to research this species for years. Tune in to hear about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Landscape Ecology Program’s comprehensive approach to cons ..read more

About this Episode Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of chemicals defined by carbon-fluorine bonds that make them resistant to fire, water, and oil. When PFAS were discovered in our farmlands and waterways, studies indicated that these chemicals have adverse, long-term effects on our environment and bioaccumulative effects in humans and other organisms. A team from the University of Maine at Orono, led by Dr. Torsten Hahmann, is developing a solution to track nationwide PFAS contamination. Katrina Schweikert joins us on this month’s episode to share her work on the Safe A ..read more

About this Episode The effects of climate change are present around the world, especially in coastal salt marshes. In this episode, we speak with Andrea Celeste Curcio, who has been evaluating the performance of remote sensing with drone/UAV technology (photogrammetry/lidar) and hyperspectral sensors for researching salt marshes over time. She explores the utility of using drones for monitoring coastal ecosystems and shares her insights on the process. Learn from the world of GIS on this episode of GEOTalks. Topics Introduction [0:13] Salt marshes [1:01] The importance of carbon sinks [3:55] T ..read more