Top Features in the High Plains Environmental Center in the Lakes at Centerra

With so much Loveland and Ft. Collins real estate for sale, making a home purchase in Northern Colorado is a long-term investment. The Lakes at Centerra understands the importance of community life, and offers more than just a home. It’s a vibrant, fulfilling lifestyle with access to state-of-the art amenities. One of those amenities is the High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC), a 76-acre living laboratory on the Lakes at Centerra grounds, providing integrated, leading-edge examples of community design, native plant cultivation and land stewardship, curriculum partnerships with the close by neighborhood pre-K through 8^th grade High Plains School, and a variety of adult educational opportunities related to wildlife, birds, plants and ecosystems . Dedicated to teaching residents about the connection between sustainable living and ecological processes, the HPEC fosters personal and community well-being.

Here are some of its top community features:

Native Plant Nursery

The HPEC grows native plants from local seeds at its own nursery, many of which are locally collected ecotypes that are extremely valuable for restoration projects. As a member of the Colorado Native Plant Society, its mission is to support native plant preservation, conservation and use.

Each year the HPEC hosts its “HUGE Native Plant Sale” featuring a large selection of pots that were grown locally and without the use of pesticides. All proceeds from the annual sale go back to help support non-profit education programs throughout the year.

Community Garden

The HPEC provides garden plots and water accessfor The Lakes at Centerra residents to use. Gardeners must provide their own tools, plants and supplies, but the HPEC creates the ultimate outdoor experience for fostering plant growth.

Community gardeners are encouraged to participate in a community workday, which includes mulching the pathways, weeding and general cleanup. Allowing neighbors to work together with the end goal of a beautiful, thriving garden, the HPEC builds a strong sense of community while enhancing the local ecosystem.

Education Opportunities

The HPEC also features an eco-literacy program that includes innovative approaches to getting kids outdoors, exploring and developing a love of their surroundings.Through hosting school field trips focusing on topics such as gardening, native plants, sustainability, wildlife and Native American studies, the HPEC has direct involvement with schools in the Thompson School District and throughout Northern Colorado.

Additionally, the new High Plains School, a Pre-K-8 offering a unique S.T.E.A.M. curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) will open its doors this August and is within walking distance of the hands-on environmental center. The Lakes at Centerra neighborhood was carefully designed to closely link together the school and the HPEC with a trail allowing students and teachers direct access to outdoor classrooms, greenhouses and natural learning environments.

With close access to shopping, healthcare, employment and culture, The Lakes at Centerra has captured a harmonious balance between suburban living and urban naturalism. If you’re looking to buy a new home in Loveland or Ft. Collins, visit us for a tour of any one of our 13 model homes, open daily for your convenience.