THIS COMMUNITY IS CERTIFIED WILD (AND IT’S A GOOD THING!)

The Lakes at Centerra is a certified wild community. From being Colorado’s first Certified Community Wildlife Habitat to its efforts to create a sustainable community, The Lakes is proud to be a little wild. Learn more about how Lakes residents, High Plains Environmental Center and the Centerra community are working hard to make sure this wild community stays that way.

The Lakes Residents Lend a Helping Hand

The Lakes is proud to be home to many residents who offer support in creating an environmentally sustainable neighborhood. Many neighbors show this support by registering their yards as Certified Wildlife Habitats, which helps contribute to Centerra’s eligibility in remaining a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat designated by the National Wildlife Federation. For a resident’s yard to be deemed a “wildlife habitat” it must meet certain requirements: yards must have a food and water source for wildlife, provide a source of shelter, and offer a place that wildlife could raise their young or build a shelter. This process is intentionally easy to encourage as many residents to register their yards as possible. Residents with certified yards not only help Centerra maintain its certification but also contribute to Centerra’s community commitment to protecting a natural environment where residents and wildlife can thrive. Pro Tip: take a step toward getting certified by planting with a purpose. Simply add shelter or a food source into your garden to attract pollinators. For more landscaping ideas, visit The Lakes’ “Green Thumb” Pinterest board.

Resident Spotlight: Lois Hart

Lois Hart was one of the founding members of the residential Community Wildlife Habitat and has worked hard on her garden to ensure it provides shelter, food and water sources for local wildlife. Lois’ garden is exceptionally great at attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. She does this by offering a variety of plants that bloom throughout the growing season to attract pollinators during all phases of their lifecycles. Lois also has bird feed placed throughout her garden and homemade bird baths provide water for whichever type of pollinator decides to stop by.

High Plains Environmental Center

The Lakes is home to High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC), which has been instrumental in making the community as environmentally friendly as it is. HPEC manages more than 278 acres of lakes, wetlands and open space at Centerra. They are also responsible for trail maintenance and are part of the reason that The Lakes has such clean trails throughout the community. An integral part of what makes The Lakes at Centerra unique, HPEC works to promote stewardship and educate the community on maintaining a balance between the built and natural environment.

HPEC hosts many residential events throughout the year to help residents connect with nature. These include monthly bird walks, the native plant sale and nature journaling which offers the opportunity to get to know your neighbors, and the local wildlife, a little bit better. Looking for a kid-friendly activity? The WildZone at The Lakes is an experiential outdoor classroom which allows children to partake in self-directed learning about nature. Children of all ages can stop by the WildZone at HPEC to learn more about their surrounding environment while playing outdoors or participate in seasonal monthly scavenger hunts for a more structured experience. With so many different activities this is the perfect summer boredom-buster!

HPEC is also responsible for The Lakes’ Community Garden. The Community Garden provides an opportunity for Centerra residents and friends of HPEC to practice horticultural or small-scale agricultural skills. This can be a great way to start a small garden if you are interested in experimenting with new skills or crops, or if your home does not allow you to alter the landscape. The Community Garden is also a space for neighbors to come together and support the local community. Half of this garden space is dedicated to raising food for Loveland’s local food bank while the other half is open for personal gardening. Plots are free and available only to members of High Plains Environmental Center and Centerra Residents. With a high demand from residents looking to dig into the program, the number of plots has recently doubled. Please contact Lauren@suburbitat.org for more information on reserving a garden plot.

Get outside and explore the great outdoors at The Lakes at Centerra, a community dedicated to remaining certifiably wild. If you have questions or want to learn more about getting involved with HPEC please visit their website. Hoping to call The Lakes home? Explore a variety of houses, from townhomes to single-family homes to custom homesites to see if you’re ready to live Certified Wild.