Forensic mapping specialists from the Windham, ME, Police Department use drones alongside GIS software to analyze vehicle crash sites and crime scenes. During this episode, we discussed Eugene Gallant and Jason Burke’s insights from the GEOTalks 2025 User Conference, as well as a few additional attendee questions, and the impact of their work with GIS technology.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/fWjK8ivwFM8?si=NLJr9za7PO3CrJmU Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1y1UNiEUVYQORhyTEB9677?si=af0e9087bb8b4fc5 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-drone-mapping-assists-police-investigations-geotalks/id1734675688?i=1000704630264

Read the blog: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/blog/how-drone-mapping-assists-police-investigations/ Download a free trial of Global Mapper Pro: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/global-mapper-pro/ Connect with the Windham, ME Police Department: https://www.windhammaine.us/170/Police

Captain Burke: Drone mapping saves time [00:00] Intro [00:13] Using Global Mapper to present reports in a courtroom [01:30] Do they keep records of the geospatial data for further analysis? [02:50] Efficient drone imagery processing with Global Mapper Pro [03:20] On-scene drone obstacles (tree cover, etc.) [04:34] Emergency response & the scope of FAA guidelines [05:34] Drones equipped with thermal imaging technology [06:44] Wrap-up [07:55] Outro [08:30]

• About this episode •

Storm surges and sea level rise pose greater risks to coasts each year. Maine felt the effects of climate change this past winter when powerful storms and flooding berated its coast. The Camp Ellis Jetty was particularly vulnerable to these storm surges and sea level rise, and the Saco Bay community lost nearly 40 homes as a result.

In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Will Kochtitzky who is leveraging GIS technology, lidar, and photogrammetry to study the effects of sea-level rise on the Camp Ellis Jetty in Maine.

The concepts in this episode align with what Florida, North Carolina, and other southern states are experiencing in the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. This episode was recorded before the storms, which devastated communities in September and October. We hope that these coastal communities recover soon and heal from this disaster.

• Listen on-the-go • Youtube: https://youtu.be/bzucCiygHIw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xYBbOLnCqut4WkwS67Gqz?si=6d18e76d53554a91 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-coastal/id1734675688?i=1000673329108

• Read the Article • Article: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/blog/impact-of-climate-change-on-coastal-communities/

• Timestamps • [00:00] – Intro [00:53] – Introducing Dr. Will Kochtitzky [01:10] – Glaciers & sea level rise [04:41] – About Dr. Kochtitzky [07:44] – Responding to the community’s needs [08:39] – Dr. Kochtitzky’s research (drones and more!) [13:53] – Quantifying climate change with GIS technology in Maine [18:12] – Monitoring change on the coast (salt marshes) [22:44] – Future of the Camp Ellis Jetty [30:24] – Connect with Dr. Will Kochtitzky [31:15] – Outro

• References from the episode • Connect with Dr. Will Kochtitzky about something you heard in the episode – wkochtitzky@une.edu Learn more about his work – https://iceandclimate.org/ Connect with the University of New England – https://www.une.edu/

• Resources • Upcoming webinars: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/blue-marble-geographics-webinars/ Instructor-led training courses: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/gis-training/public-gis-training/ Blogs: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/blog/ Industry Showcases: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/industry-showcases/ Academic Programs: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/academic-programs/

Lidar technology, in addition to other methods of remote sensing, can be integral to performing accessible research in a given area. This month on the GEOTalks Podcast, we spoke to Dr. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa about his team’s research in the Guanacaste Conservation Area at Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. His team is creating accurate methods for studying secondary tropical dry forests with lidar technology.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Sanchez-Azofeifa explore the history that established a need for this work and share his team’s ongoing research in this field.

Learn more about this episode in the blog: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/blog/understanding-tropical-dry-forests-with-lidar-technology/

• Listen on the go •

YouTube: https://youtu.be/8g_CvpfR3CE Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zjuuHONHCZNSojAlgjR14?si=82ef1155cf384397 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-secondary-tropical-dry-forests-with/id1734675688?i=1000669148206

• Timestamps • [00:00] – Introduction [01:14] – Dr. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa’s research [02:54] – His role in the Tropi-Dry Project [05:04] – Challenges researching tropical dry forests (TDFs) [07:47] – Ecological corridors for biodiversity in TDFs [10:15] – GIS and lidar technology in his work [13:09] – Data resolution [16:02] – Climate change in the tropics [20:46] – Understanding deforestation in Costa Rica [22:56] – Connect with Dr. Sanchez-Azofeifa and Tropi-Dry [24:15] – Wrap-up

• Resources • Connect with Tropi-Dry | https://www.tropi-dry.org/ Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa’s Google Scholar Profile | https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ngY7I_MAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Register for upcoming webinars: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/blue-marble-geographics-webinars/ Instructor-led training courses: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/gis-training/public-gis-training/ Blogs: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/blog/ Industry Showcases: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/industry-showcases/ Academic Programs: https://www.bluemarblegeo.com/academic-programs/