Robert Howe | Environmental Science & Geospatial Portfolio
Robert Howe M.S. Climate Science & Policy · Environmental Science & Geospatial Portfolio

Graduate, Master of Science in Climate Science and Policy

Integrating limnological modeling, community science frameworks, and aerial remote sensing to track, analyze, and communicate freshwater environmental quality.

Explore Technical Projects

Core Initiatives

Environmental Consulting & Science Communication

A graduate with a Master of Science in Climate Science and Policy, bridging the gap between empirical environmental data and community-led watershed action. Specializing in high-resolution spatial modeling, continuous water quality monitoring networks, and early-warning communication infrastructure for aquatic ecosystems.

Still Waters — Environmental Justice Documentary

Still Waters is an environmental justice documentary focused on the recurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Wallkill River — featuring community voices, field monitoring, and watershed stewardship on the ground in New Paltz and downstream.

Watch Still Waters on YouTube ↗

Still Waters, an environmental justice documentary focused on the recurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Wallkill River. This film was a production by Marist College students.

Director: Emma Stuber · Editors & Cinematographers: Carter McDavitt, Emma Gaecklein, and Emma Stuber

Featuring interviews with Martha Cheo (Wallkill River Watershed Alliance) and Bobby Howe (Wallkill River Watershed Alliance). Drone cinematography: Jeffrey Basinger.

Special thanks to the Hudson River Watershed Alliance for facilitating the connection between the students and the local watershed organization.

Learn more about the decade-long cyanobacteria seasonal outbreaks in the Lower Wallkill River ↗

Active Projects & Toolkits

Data platforms, remote sensing pipelines, and monitoring networks built for watershed protection and community science.

WRWA HABs Watchers Dashboard

HABs Reporting Project Coordinator · Field Operations · Live Conditions

As HABs Reporting Project Coordinator for the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance, I lead community reporting workflows and operate the WRWA HABs Watchers Dashboard — a field-ready command center that combines live weather, USGS flow, remote sensing links, and reporting tools for safe, zero-contact bloom monitoring.

  • Coordinate HABs Watcher field priorities, site safety, and reporting pathways
  • Live Open-Meteo weather and USGS Wallkill discharge for fieldwork decisions
  • Integrated links to WRWA reporting tools, StoryMap resources, and sector workflows

Open the HABs Watchers Dashboard

EcoHabit Platform

Citizen Science · Data Dashboard · Training Interface

An interactive data dashboard and citizen science training interface built to empower local residents to monitor and map toxic cyanobacteria blooms efficiently.

  • Interactive mapping of community-submitted bloom observations
  • Training modules aligned with field identification best practices
  • Exportable summaries for partner agencies and watershed alliances

Aerial Remote Sensing Fleet

UAV Mapping · Thermal · Multispectral

High-resolution thermal and multi-spectral drone mapping pipelines for local watershed characterizations and environmental assessments.

  • UAV orthomosaic production for site-scale watershed characterization
  • Thermal and multispectral indices for vegetation and surface conditions
  • GIS-ready products for ArcGIS and open-source Leaflet deployments

Continuous Water Quality Monitoring

Sensor Networks · Nutrient Loading · Flow Dynamics

Interactive deployment maps tracking regional nutrient loading, flow dynamics, and historical watershed reports.

  • Deployment maps for continuous monitoring stations
  • Visualization of nutrient and flow time series
  • Linkages to historical reports and watershed boundary context

Basha Kill Watershed Interactive Map

2025 Orthophoto · Monitoring Stations · Watershed Overlays

Interactive map of the Neversink and Basha Kill watershed area — monitoring stations, USGS gauges, watershed boundaries, and selectable basemaps including 2025 orthophoto imagery.

Open the Basha Kill watershed map

Research & Fieldwork

Academic and applied write-ups, plus linked tools and publications from the Research menu.

Wallkill Watershed 3D Model

Interactive Terrain · Watershed Visualization

Explore the Wallkill watershed in three dimensions — elevation context for monitoring, access planning, and stakeholder communication.

Open the 3D model

Capstone Report — Bard CEP 2026

Academic Capstone · PDF

Full capstone report documenting methods, analysis, and recommendations from the Bard Center for Environmental Policy program.

Download Howe_Capstone_BardCEP_2026.pdf

Cyanobacteria Tracking Across Freshwater Systems

Field Methods · Harmful Algal Blooms · Early Warning

Field protocols for detecting and documenting cyanobacteria blooms, combining visual surveys, nutrient context, and geospatial logging across seasons and sub-basins.

"Systematic observation functions not merely as a technical task but as a transformative act of evidence-based agency — turning concerned residents into active environmental stewards." — Howe, Bard CEP Capstone 2026
ArcGIS Leaflet.js EnviroDIY / Mayfly Python / GIS UAV / Drone Remote Sensing Monitor My Watershed NYSDEC HAB Program

Citizen Science Monitoring — How It Works

Turning Wallkill River users into trained environmental analysts through a four-step digital engagement framework grounded in ECSA principles and evidence-based design.

Identify

Use the EcoHabit interactive survey to learn HAB visual indicators — pea-soup color, surface scum, paint-spill patterns — with image-based comparison galleries and situated field tutorials.

Assess

Evaluate water conditions using risk thresholds: temperature, conductance, visual turbidity, and bloom extent. Remote sensing imagery from UAV overflights provides spatial context for bloom boundaries.

Report

Submit geotagged observations to the ArcGIS HAB reporting map covering the Wallkill between New Paltz and Sturgeon Pool. Uploaded images and location data feed directly into the watershed monitoring network.

Act

Data flows to WRWA coordinators and NYSDEC partners. Community members receive feedback on how their observations influence management decisions, closing the loop between stewardship and policy.

2025–2026 EcoHabit Study Results

The Bard CEP capstone pilot study enrolled 25 participants from New Paltz and surrounding communities — recreational users, hikers, residents, and stewards — to evaluate the EcoHabit citizen science training interface.

Participants demonstrated measurable improvements in HAB identification accuracy, self-rated knowledge, and willingness to report future blooms — validating the platform's design as a scalable monitoring tool for the Wallkill watershed.

Read the Full Capstone Report
88% Scenario 2 HAB ID Accuracy
4.0 Likelihood to Report HABs (out of 5)
+0.56 Mean Knowledge Gain
4.32 Overall Tool Rating (out of 5)
76% Second-Chance HAB Accuracy
18 min Median Session Duration

Professional Inquiry

Reach out about consulting, research collaboration, toolkit deployments, or watershed communication projects.

Powered by
►
Necessary cookies enable essential site features like secure log-ins and consent preference adjustments. They do not store personal data.
None
►
Functional cookies support features like content sharing on social media, collecting feedback, and enabling third-party tools.
None
►
Analytical cookies track visitor interactions, providing insights on metrics like visitor count, bounce rate, and traffic sources.
None
►
Advertisement cookies deliver personalized ads based on your previous visits and analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
None
Powered by