GEOTalks Blue Marble Geographics

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 conservation using GIS technology.
Topics
[00:00] – Introduction
[02:03] – Kelsi Schwind’s work in Texas
[02:54] – Landscape Ecology Program
[03:40] – Kelsi’s role in the program
[05:03] – Bigtooth Maple tree conservation
[06:13] – Using GIS for conservation
[06:57] – Data used in this project
[07:39] – Creating the method to extract canyons
[09:44] – Updating the landcover classification
[10:23] – Manual and automated sections of the project
[11:06] – Next steps in the project
[12:55] – Challenges during the project
[15:35] – Ecological Mapping Systems (EMS) of Texas
[17:01] – Forest classes and forest classification in Texas
[17:58] – Applications of TX landcover classifications
[19:34] – Conservation planning and timeframe
[21:16] – Vision of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
[21:58] – Get involved!
[23:19] – Wrap-up
Resources
Connect with Kelsi Schwind via email: kelsi.schwind@tpwd.texas.gov
Connect with Kelsi Schwind on LinkedIn: https://ow.ly/2p1K50RhA2h
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – Home: https://tpwd.texas.gov/
Landscape Ecology Program – Home: https://ow.ly/QqSS50RhA8K
Ecological Mapping Systems: https://ow.ly/xaN550RhA9t
Web Tile Map Service: https://ow.ly/Ixw250RjPzp
Texas Geographic Information Office: https://tnris.org/
Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluemarblegeo/?hl=en
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-marble-geographics/
Blue Marble Geographics Academic Scholarship: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/academic-programs/academic-scholarship-program/
Visit our website at https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/
Sign up for our newsletter: https://go.bluemarblegeo.com/subscribe
Email marketing@bluemarblegeo.com for inquiries.
GeoTalks is a Blue Marble Geographics® podcast. Blue Marble Geographics is a leader in GIS software development, providing professional-grade tools to users at every level. Blue Marble’s expertise spans the geospatial technology sector, focusing on coordinate conversion and management, lidar and photogrammetric point cloud processing, and user-driven product development.
Listen to this episode with our visualizer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oLzZsTZt3I4
Subscribe and tune in on the third Wednesday of the month for new episodes!

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 Agricultural Products and Water Graph (SAWGraph). This geospatial knowledge graph will be used in efforts to understand and mitigate the PFAS contamination in our agricultural products and waterways. Tune in to learn about what sets it apart as a state-of-the-art tool for tracking PFAS.
Topics
[00:00] – Introduction
[01:46] – PFAS Contamination
[04:07] – Bioaccumulation
[04:24] – Safe Agricultural Products and Water Graph (SAWGraph)
[05:20] – Katrina’s role on SAWGraph
[05:56] – Research and data in SAWGraph
[07:12] – Integrating spatial data
[08:13] – Geospatial knowledge graph
[09:42] – Prototype Open Knowledge Network (Proto-OKN)
[11:49] – Linked open data (LOD)
[13:37] – Use of SAWGraph
[15:06] – Additional PFAS research
[19:07] – Connect with Katrina
[19:57] – Wrap-up
Resources
Katrina’s profile on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katrina-schweikert-8139a616
SAWGraph: https://sawgraph.github.io/
University of Maine at Orono – Article: https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2023/10/10/umaine-leading-development-of-new-state-of-the-art-tool-for-tracking-pfas-nationwide/
About Proto-OKN: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/building-prototype-open-knowledge-network-proto
National Science Foundation Award: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2333782
More about PFAS from the Environmental Protection Agency: https://www.epa.gov/pfas
Visit our website at https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/
Sign up for our newsletter: https://go.bluemarblegeo.com/subscribe
Email marketing@bluemarblegeo.com for inquiries.
GeoTalks is a Blue Marble Geographics® podcast. Blue Marble Geographics is a leader in GIS software development, providing professional-grade tools to users at every level. Blue Marble’s expertise spans the geospatial technology sector, focusing on coordinate conversion and management, lidar and photogrammetric point cloud processing, and user-driven product development.
Listen to this episode with our visualizer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bYCYD1brZ9Y
Subscribe and tune in on the third Wednesday of the month for new episodes!

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]
Threats to salt marshes [4:51]
iBESBLUE Project [7:00]
Goals of the iBESBLUE Project [7:42]
Andrea’s salt marsh analogy [8:44]
Drone/UAV data collection and processing [9:24]
Drone flight frequency [12:36]
The utility of remote sensing [14:49]
Research findings [17:31]
Conservation efforts in Cadiz Bay [18:51]
Connect with Andrea [21:35]
Wrap-up [23:20]
Resources
Andrea’s profile on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GtRFEB0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Drone service of the University of Cádiz: https://dron.uca.es/
iBESBLUE Project: https://ibesblue.uca.es/
iBESBLUE on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibesblue/
Connect with Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-celeste-curcio/
GEOTalks is a Blue Marble Geographics® podcast. As a leader in GIS software development, Blue Marble Geographics provides professional-grade tools to users at every level. Blue Marble’s expertise spans the geospatial technology sector, focusing on coordinate conversion and management, lidar and photogrammetric point cloud processing, and user-driven product development.
Visit our website at https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/
Sign up for our newsletter: https://go.bluemarblegeo.com/subscribe
Email marketing@bluemarblegeo.com for inquiries.
Listen to this episode with our visualizer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fHAMYjeToQg
Subscribe and tune in on the third Wednesday of the month for new episodes!