Becoming a resilient community — Give a Hoot!
What makes a community thrive?
For us at PCEC, it’s the deep sense of place we share here in Park County—the Yellowstone, Shields and Boulder rivers that shape our valleys; the diverse trees that line and shade our streets; the neighbors who show up for one another, embracing our differences and honoring our layered history. It’s the belief that by working together, we can build something stronger, more resilient, and more connected than any one of us could do on our own.
Do you Give a Hoot about a more connected resilient community?
Support PCEC through Give a Hoot Today
That’s the heart of our Thriving Communities program.
We partner with passionate volunteers to amplify voices and unique skills to help Park County communities thrive in the face of growth and a changing climate.
We build community and adapt to future threats by diversifying our urban forest through Livingston Loves Trees
We celebrate, support and help fund innovative community-led projects through LTown Soup
We host AmeriCorps and Montana Conservation Corps members, and partner with local agencies to grow capacity and adapt to a changing climate.
The Tree Team, local businesses and City of Livingston celebrate Arbor Day 2025, at the Depot having planted 105 trees in a week, totaling 381 trees since 2022.
We build community and adapt to future threats by diversifying our urban forest!
Like the Dutch Elm Disease that wiped out many of Livingston’s trees, the Emerald Ash Borer poses a serious threat to the urban forest, potentially impacting thousands of ash trees and the vital ecosystem services they provide—such as cooling shade, stormwater management, and carbon sequestration.
Livingston Loves Trees is getting ahead of this threat with a goal to plant 1,000 new trees—adding 10 or more new species—and diversify our urban forest by 28%. Since 2021, Livingston Loves Trees has planted 381 trees, increased canopy diversity by 10%, achieved a 98% tree survival rate (compared to 50–75% in Denver) and engaged hundreds of volunteer hours and dozens of residents in tree adoption and care.
3,888 trees currently make up Livingston’s urban forest, valued at $8 million. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of these trees are older ash trees, and we risk losing thousands of trees in the near future. These trees provide $644,150 in annual benefits, including, 7.1 million gallons of stormwater runoff reduction, 525,722 kWh and 47,702 Therms of energy savings, 713,642 lbs of carbon dioxide sequestered annually and 867,339 lbs of CO₂ emissions are avoided annually.
The best thing you can do for your tree—at any age—is give it a good drink once a week and protect its trunk from mowers, deer, and weed whackers. Help a neighbor water if you see a tree in need. In the fall, you can join a pruning and maintenance course in partnership with the City of Livingston and check out PCEC's growing Livingston Loves Trees care resource library.
And consider donation to this Tree Bud volunteer fundraiser to unlock matching funds for the 2026 tree planting week!
Tree Bud Give a Hoot Fundraiser for 2026 Trees!
We celebrate, support and help fund innovative community led projects!
LTown Soup is all about community giving and celebration! Earlier this year, in one evening of community giving, $13,000 was raised through community donations and a matching challenge. The event brought together 160 attendees—including volunteers and project pitchers—and funded seven local projects. Yellowstone Farmstead received $5,000 for agritourism and food production. Pride in Action was awarded $3,000 to support nonprofit certification and outreach. Studio49 received $2,000 to expand access to community arts. Additional awards ranging from $500 to $1,000 supported education, public art, and music initiatives.
We plan for the future and work in partnership to adapt to climate change!
The devastating 2022 Yellowstone River flood was swift, dramatic and an example of a climate driven natural disaster. PCEC responded to the flooding and supported residents and businesses in recovery efforts by helping coordinate resources.
Since then, we’ve deepened our commitment to climate resilience by participating in the Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the Park County COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster). With support from AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange, we brought in a national community resilience consultant to assess Park County’s disaster preparedness and conduct a Flood Gap Analysis aligned with national standards—while fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue on next steps.
Now, we’re turning our attention to wildfire preparedness, partnering with the Greater Yellowstone Fire Adapted Communities Network and rural fire, hosting community education events and engaging in the update of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which will help prioritize local projects for grant funding in 2026.
Through these efforts, we’re building a more informed, connected, and resilient Park County—ready to face the challenges of flood, drought and fire together.
Over the past five years, we have proudly partnered with AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC and now Montana Conservation Corps, hosting passionate young leaders who’ve given thousands of hours to our community. From planting trees and diverting 1,472 gallons of compost from the landfill, to restoring trails, supporting flood recovery, creating a resilience library and helping secure a $60,000 grant for ADA trail access, their impact is woven into the fabric of our community. Read more about their impact here. These volunteers have served in classrooms, parks, gardens and planning meetings—often living on poverty-level stipends, driven by a deep commitment to service.
Your Support Makes a Difference!
Donating during Give a Hoot allows us to continue to invest in Thriving Communities to better serve Park County and the planet. We believe in the power of showing up—for each other, for our environment, and for the future of Park County, when we serve together, we grow stronger together.
Do you Give a Hoot about a more resilient and connected Park County? Click here to donate!