Conservation
In case you’re not familiar with Livingston Loves Trees (LLT), the group was formed about five years ago by several volunteers who raised money to buy trees to give away to city residents. The idea behind the group was to help keep the city’s urban forest alive and well.
So, if you have an empty spot on your boulevard or in your front yard that could use a tree, apply now through the Park County Environmental Council (PCEC) website at www.pcecmt.org. Then, select the “Our Work” drop down menu and click on Livingston Loves Trees.
All trees are given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. Since its inception in 2021, LLT has planted 381 trees throughout town, translating into roughly 10 percent of the city’s urban forest. A few years ago, LLT was informally adopted by PCEC, which now organizes and administers the program, while still relying on a team of volunteers to assist with the planting each spring.
There is a catch, however: All tree adopters must agree to care for the tree. If you have ever planted a tree before, it is a lot like adopting a puppy—they require quite a bit of work the first year or two; you must water, feed, and take care of it for years to come.
After you apply online, LLT volunteers will meet with you to check out where you would like the tree planted. Preference is given to boulevards that don’t have any trees, or front yards in areas of town that don’t have a traditional boulevard.
Over the years, LLT has planted maples, hawthorns, bur oaks, lindens, elms, honey locusts, flowering crabapples, and tree lilacs. The idea is to plant a diverse group of trees so that urban forests are stronger and able to withstand any blights or insect infestations that may come along.
Right now, about 80 percent of Livingston’s urban trees are old ash trees which, in other areas of the country are being completely wiped out by the emerald ash borer. The ash borer has not made it to Montana yet, but it’s in eastern South Dakota, Nebraska and northern Colorado. By planting a wide selection of hardy trees, LLT hopes to avoid this fate in the future.
Planting is scheduled for May 20th and 21st. LLT volunteers will handle utility locates, digging, backfilling, mulching, staking the tree against Livingston’s wind, and watering it for the first time. LLT will plant a large ball and burlap, Livingston-hardy deciduous tree for free—approximately a $750 value, with cost of planting.
For more information, please contact Thomas Shands at thomaslshands@gmail.com.