Upper Yellowstone Noxious Weeds Float and Habitat Recovery Mapping: Come float the Upper Yellowstone River with us to collect valuable data on noxious weeds, willow, and cottonwoods, August 1st with Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group, Park County Environmental Council, and Montana Freshwater Partners. This is our 4th year monitoring for noxious weeds on the river's edge. We will be collecting year 3 of our post-flood noxious weed inventory and cottonwood and willow recruitment monitoring. Volunteers will need to download EDDMapS, have invasive weed ID skills, and bring their own boat.

Float sections for 2025: Point of Rock to 26 Mile access. 26 Mile access to Mill Creek (for smaller vessels).

Contact bethany@pcecmt.org to find out more details.

Help us learn more about bumble bees in the Mountain States!

Join us for a field training to learn about and gain hands-on experience with the Bumble Bee Atlas! The Bumble Bee Atlas is a community science project that aims to track and conserve bumble bees across the Rocky Mountains. Anyone is welcome to join, no prior experience is needed.

During this free event, participants will learn the what, why, and how of becoming a Bumble Bee Atlas volunteer. We'll start in the classroom to learn about bumble bee ecology and conservation. Then, you'll gain hands-on experience with bumble bee survey methods, including netting, chilling, and photographing bees. The Atlas uses non-lethal survey methods, so no bees are harmed during the project. The training will take place outside, so please bring water, closed-toed shoes, and sun protection.

Space is limited. Please register in advance. 

The Atlas is a collaborative effort between the Xerces Society, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service. Learn more at BumbleBeeAtlas.org

Progress takes time on the landscape–and we are seeing it! Jump back in with us on this multi-year weed treatment at Livingston Peak. This project is a collaboration between ABWF, Park County Environmental Council (PCEC), and the Livingston Bike Club (LBC). We will spend the day together coming to know local flora–invasive and non-invasive–while assisting in creating a regenerative habitat along this lovely mountainside. We will also be work with Bike Club friends to improve the trail edge by clearing trees stumps and dense vegetation crowding the trail.

Typically, everyone will meet at the Old Boulder Road and Livingston Peak junction before car pooling to the Trailhead. Mountain bike enthusiasts are encouraged to bring their bikes for a day-ending thrilling downhill to Suce Creek Trailhead where the Bike Club usually arranges a shuttle, be sure to contact sarah@pcecmt.org to coordinate bike shuttles.

📍 Location: Livingston Peak Trailhead, Custer Gallatin National Forest, Yellowstone Ranger District, Park County, Montana

📅 Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025

💡 Who Should Attend? Anyone who loves the outdoors, want to build skills and confidence, seek community and give back to the Wilderness.

🍽️ Lunch: Please bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen and bug spray. Lunch and drinks will be provided.

🛠️ Tools & Skills: No experience? No problem! We provide all the necessary equipment and expert instruction to help you feel prepared and confident.

🥾 Hike Intensity: Easy

🔨 Work Intensity: Easy to Moderate

We will be using small hand tools and shovels to dig up houndstongue taproots and clip flower heads. A short hike to the site, and plenty of work to do for all abilities. Work includes stooping, kneeling, gripping, and light lifting.

🔗 Sign Up Today! The more the merrier! Your RSVP ensures we can provide lunch!

📝 Registration Process: Our new "ABWF Volunteer Hub" requires you to create your own ABWF account as part of the sign up process. Once you are in, signing up for future events is a snap!

❌ Cancellations: In case you can't make it (we know, it happens!), please use the convenient "remove" function so we can be sure to offer your spot to another eager participant. We may also require confirmation of your attendance two weeks prior to the event.

Source: https://www.abwilderness.org/attend-events/livingston-peak-weed-pull

Join us at the 4th Annual Paradise Valley Weeds Education Field Day for a day of hands-on learning, discussions, and demonstrations all about noxious weed management. Whether you want to know more about methods to control weeds that promote healthy soil, learn how to monitor plants on your land, or are simply interested in productive land management, this event is for you. You can also earn 3 credits towards your pesticide applicator license at this event!

Experts will give presentations on topics such as:

• Invasive plant identification, monitoring techniques, and mapping using EDDMaps

• Integrated pest management and biocontrol to eliminate weeds 

• How to protect soil from erosion and other impacts of herbicides

Stick around after these presentations for a delicious cook-out lunch!

Register today at the MSU Extension office, (406) 222-4156, or email Bethany, bethany@pcecmt.org. 

Be sure to RSVP so we can bring plenty of food for everyone!

North Dry Creek Trail Day & Group Ride - THIS Saturday, June 14th!

Join us and Livingston Bike Club for a productive morning at North Dry Creek lower trailhead this Saturday, June 14th! We're combining a scenic group ride with important trail maintenance.

As we ride, we'll be carrying hand saws to clear any downed trees along our route, making the trails better for everyone. We'll also take the opportunity to monitor the effectiveness of past LBC weed removal projects, providing crucial data to inform the USFS's and plan for this years removal project. It's a great chance to ride somewhere beautiful, contribute to our public lands, and meet with your bike club neighbors.

Meet us in the lower parking area at 9:30 AM (please note: the road is closed until Monday). Wheels up at 10 AM sharp! This is an intermediate down hill trail come prepared with backup tube, bear spray, water etc. Bring a lunch and tailgate refreshment for a post-ride hang.

For more information about this working group ride, contact Sarah at sarah@pcecmt.org. To stay updated on all future group rides, bike club meeting, and trail days, click here to join the Livingston Bike Club listserv email thread!

Join us for a community conversation focusing on channel migration concepts, and provide an overview of how the map was developed, how to access the online mapping tool, and how to interpret the features in the map. 

Guest Presenter, Jeannette Blank, is the In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program Director for Montana Freshwater Partners, has over 20 years of experience in water resource restoration, permitting, and regulatory expertise.

Register for the presentation.

Join Livingston Loves Bees for a Community Conversation. The vulnerable western bumble bee, along with other vital pollinators like the two-spotted bumble bee, need your help! Discover how you can directly contribute to their protection. Learn practical steps like planting native wildflowers (essential for Montana's climate), using iNaturalist for citizen science, and implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Make a real impact in your own backyard and help ensure a thriving pollinator population in Livingston!

Register for the presentation.

Bee photo: (c) John Kolts

In 2020, the Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group (UYWG) launched its “Upper Yellowstone River Recreational Use Study” to collect baseline data (who, what, where, to what extent) on recreational use of the river.

PCEC will host a Community Conversation with project leader Whitney Tilt to present the report’s findings and the resulting set of recommendations.

Register for the Zoom

L-Town Soup returns to Livingston! Join us for a grassroots micro-granting dinner where the purchase of your meal funds local projects!

Join us for a day of winter revelry that gives back. Glide through 20+ miles of groomed cross-country trails, test your skills in the snowshoe long jump, and celebrate this incredible landscape with live music, craft beer, and delicious local fare. Save your spot and sign up today.

Join us  for our Annual PCEC Chili Dinner! The party will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 130 S 2nd St., Livingston. 

This event creates an in-person opportunity to connect with one another and deepen our community relationships over food and drinks. 

The party will feature a chili bar - made by PCEC staff. Bring the family and let us cook for you! A cash bar will be available. 

RSVP at this link

Grizzlies in the Yellowstone region are potentially poised for big management changes in the near future. With the possibility of delisting on the horizon, can we find a shared vision of what the future of grizzlies in Montana looks like?  

Nick Mott, journalist and host of the podcast, The Wide Open, moderates this discussion with experts on all sides of the grizzly debates. The panel will feature Chris Servheen, former grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Chief of Conservation Policy Quentin Kujala; Paradise Valley rancher Druska Kinkie; and Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company and Bear Aware Gardiner coordinator, Evan Stout.

Listen to The Wide Open HERE.

DATE:  November 20th
TIME: 6:00 - 7:30 PM
LOCATION: The 1900, 103 N Main St., Livingston. (The old Soup Bar)

Deepening Community Engagement

Join us this year for our annual membership meeting. We will provide important organizational updates, present on our financials and take care of necessary business.

This year we will have an opportunity to hear from Northern Cheyenne oral historian Francine Spang-Willis, who will present on deepening engagement with diverse peoples and organizations. Francine has been leading and collaborating with PCEC on the innovative Crazy Mountains Oral History Project.

We will also give out our Janet Shirey Spirit Award to an individual who exemplifies great leadership and engagement in local conservation efforts and the Volunteer of the Year award to an individual who shows up selflessly to give their time to work with us for the betterment of our community.

DATE: November 13th
TIME: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Zoom — Register HERE

Come flaot the Upper Yellowstone River with us to collect valuble data on noxious weeds, willow, and cottonwoods, July 30 with Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group, Park County Environmental Council, and Montana Freshwater Partners. This is our 3rd year monitoring for noxious weeds on the river's edge. We will be collecting year 2 of our post-flood noxious weed inventory and cottonwood and willow recrutiment monitoring. Volunteers will need to download EDDMapS, have invasive weed ID skills, and bring there own boat.

Email bethany@pcecmt.org to get sign up and recieve more float details.

Progress takes time on the landscape – but we are seeing good things happen! Join us on July 20 for our multi-year weed removal and mitigation project at Livingston Peak – one of the iconic skylines in the Absaroka Beartooths. This project is a collaboration between PCEC, Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation, and the Livingston Bike Club. We will spend the day together coming to know local flora – invasive and non-invasive – while assisting in creating a regenerative habitat along this lovely mountaintop. 

Sign up and complete the volunteer waiver on the ABWF website.

Help us fight leafy spurge, a harmful weed in Montana! Join our biocontrol agent collection to learn about this natural solution and protect Park County's landscapes. Sign up to volunteer and make a real difference! More details will be sent on July 11th regaurding location.

Email bethany@pcecmt.org to get signed up and recieve more details.

Help us fight leafy spurge, a harmful weed in Montana! Join our biocontrol agent collection to learn about this natural solution and protect Park County's landscapes. Sign up to volunteer and make a real difference! We will meet at Mountain West Co-op on Reserve (by Popeyes Chicken) at 10 on July 10th.

Email bethany@pcecmt.org to get signed up and recieve more details.

It’s not too late to purchase native plants for your boulevard or lawn replacement projects at Montana Freshwater Partners Native Plant Sale live online though April 15th.

There will be extra inventory available for purchase at Native Plant Sale Community Event, May 4th, anytime between 3-5 PM at the Park County Fairgrounds. This is a family friendly event where you can also drop off soil samples, sign ups for the Wild Seed Initiative, make seed bombs, talk to local experts, and learn more about pollinators in Montana.

Join us on Arbor Day, Friday, April 26th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM as Livingston Loves Trees, a Tree City USA Affiliate, donate and plant two beautiful new boulevard trees and pollinator-friendly native plants!

This free community event is a great way to:

• Celebrate Arbor Day and Livingston's commitment to a greener, more resilient future!

• Help plant trees and native plants to beautify Livingston’s boulevards while we support and strengthen the ecosystem!

• Learn tips for tree planting, the value of urban forests ,and importance of native plants for supporting trees and bees.

The family friendly event will take place in the Lincoln School parking lot. Refreshments will be provided. Please dress appropriately, bring sunscreen or layers, and plan to get your hands dirty.

Join us for a screening of Youth v Gov at the Shane Center next Monday, May 15. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring active young people and adults in the climate space.

Admission is free but donations are encouraged. Proceeds will go towards planning a Youth Climate Summit in Livingston this fall.

Contact Bethany to Register: Bethany@pcecmt.org or 406-333-1398.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kdu6trTwpE9xUGRp4FFXzcau1EYdlLYog