Deepening Community Engagement: Post-Rendezvous

Last week we hosted our annual Virtual Rendezvous. It brought together a group of passionate individuals united by a shared love for our community, this incredible landscape, and all the creatures that call it home. 

As Erica Lighthiser, PCEC’s Co-Managing Director, stated, “We need an ‘all hands on deck’ approach. Think of our greatest achievements, they have come when we work together—partnering with local and regional organizations, businesses, and people with diverse views and lived experiences.”

If you missed it, you can watch the full 2024 PCEC Rendezvous video here.

Our Keynote Speaker

Oral historian Francine Spang-Willis, of Appearing Flying Woman Consulting, shared her insights on the Crazy Mountains Oral History Project, which she has been working with PCEC since 2022. Francine emphasized the importance of using an oral history methodology to:

  • Create a deeper understanding of the layered history of the Crazy Mountains Range and the surrounding area.

  • Build deeper relationships between diverse communities, organizations, and individuals connected to the Crazies and the biodiversity there.

  • Create more effective conservation strategies to help diverse communities, organizations, and individuals live more in balance with nature and the cultural resources of the Crazy Mountains and the surrounding area.

Click image to watch Francine's presentation.

With appropriate funding, the project will include:

  • An archive collection of interviews completed in 2024. 

  • The archive collection will be housed at the Montana Historical Society at the end of February 2025. 

  • A curation of a web page and three-part podcast series on PCEC’s website in 2025. They will be available to the public in early 2026.

  • Three listening & discussion sessions in April, May, and June 2026.

  • A framework of conservation strategies based on the archives, web page, three-part podcast series, and listening and discussion sessions in 2026.

  • Implementation of the framework of conservation strategies starting in 2027.

Award Recipients

We also celebrated the outstanding efforts and contributions of two community members and conservation champions: Remy Sexton and Nate Johnson. 

Janet Shirey Spirit Award winner, Remy Sexton, was recognized for her exceptional leadership in youth climate activism and dedication to community service. At just 17 years old, Remy has already made significant strides in environmental conservation, from earning the Montana Youth Leadership Forum Award to advocating for climate policies at the state level. Remy was a former PCEC intern, and has interned with Farm to School as well. View award clip here.

Volunteer of the Year winner, Nate Johnson, was honored for his tireless work with the Livingston Loves Trees program and the Zero Waste Station at the Livingston Farmers Market. Nate has been instrumental in planting hundreds of trees and diverting thousands of pounds of waste from landfills. Both of these PCEC programs would not run as smoothly as they do without Nate’s energetic spirit and the time he gives to help. View award clip here.

We are incredibly grateful for our amazing volunteers, future conservation leaders, and dedicated members.

A special thank you to those who donated during the event. Your generosity and commitment will help us continue to protect this awe-inspiring place and the communities that call it home.

As we make headway in our end-of-year fundraising campaign your support is crucial to ensuring PCEC can continue its vital work in the community as we head into 2025.

Watch this inspiring clip of Sarah explaining what's to come for PCEC here. 

Your investment, no matter the size, will make a significant impact.

Thank you all for being a part of the PCEC community. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Nov. 20th, at the Living with Grizzlies: A Conversation About the Future of Bears with Nick Mott.

 

In Community,

PCEC Staff Team

Bethany Allen