High Plains Environmental Center

05/30/2026

Thanks to our awesome volunteers today - Volunteers make it all possible in the nonprofit world.

05/30/2026

The garden is all planted! If you want to taste the vegetables visit the cafe. Kinston Centerra

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

Always a great day when the Plein Air Artists Colorado-PAAC visit us! 🎨

Pictured here: Laura G Young, Coordinator painting the Promenade Garden

05/27/2026

Triodanis perfoliata (Clasping Bellflower)

Synonym(s): Clasping Venus's Looking-glass, Specularia perfoliata

Height: 2 ft
Water Requirements: low
Exposure: full sun to part sun
Bloom Color: Blue, purple, violet
Bloom Time: Apr - July
Ecological Value: Nectar forage for small bees, bumblebees, flies, small butterflies and skippers; the Short-horned Cellophane Bee (Colletes brevicornis) may specialize on this species.
Native Range: Eastern US and MX with scattered populations across western US excluding Nevada. The state of Utah considers it nonnative.
Habitat: poor, dry, sandy or gravelly soil with low competition
Growth Form: herbaceous
Life Cycle: annual; reseeds
Ethnobotany (historical uses): Medicinal use by Cherokee
Conservation Status: G5 (Globally Secure): S3 (Vulnerable) in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, S5 (Secure) in Nebraska, Kansas, no status rank in other states; possibly exotic in Utah
Drought tolerance: Medium

05/27/2026

FoCo EcoFest & Xeriscape Garden Party
Saturday, June 06, 2026 | 10:00 AM to 01:00 PM

Join us at FoCo EcoFest on June 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Washington Park to explore the Our Climate Future plan and discover local conservation resources. Chat with an energy advisor about ways to make your home more comfortable and efficient, and connect with local organizations offering programs, services, and tips to help you live more sustainably.

Plus, don't miss the Xeriscape Garden Party, featuring the NoCo Native Plant Swap and expert tips for creating a beautiful, water-wise landscape. Enjoy food trucks and activities for all ages, including free sessions on topics like waste, energy efficiency and fire-wise landscaping.

https://www.fortcollins.gov/Events/2026-Events/2026-Q2/FoCo-EcoFest

05/26/2026

This super inspiring Community Pollinator Project is evolving in real time in the City Park Neighborhood of Fort Collins. Neighbors noticed an overgrown, weedy ditch and dreamt of something better for themselves and for pollinators.

Partners:
Nicole Hopewell (community organizer)
City of Fort Collins Housing & Community Vitality
Gardens on Spring Creek (mulch)
High Plains Environmental Center (plants)

05/25/2026

Our friend Rob Proctor, a former director of Denver Botanic Gardens said "gardening is the world's slowest performance art." It's funny, and it's true. It takes a long time to see the changes. Photos help. This year we are celebrating 25 years since our founding, in 2001. It's causing us to look over old photos, to realize how far we've come, and to remember what we set out to do. We wanted to create a garden that used very little water, one that celebrates native plants and ecological cycles that are unique to the Front Range. We wanted to do it naturally, with little or no fertilizer or pesticide, to protect the pollinators and birds that throng to this landscape. We wanted to create a garden that was beautiful year round with minimal care (we have not until recently had a fulltime horticulturist on staff to care for our gardens.) When we began it we were on the horticultural fringe, but people have caught on, native plants and pollinators have become things that a lot of people know and care about. The reactions we get from visitors still range from "this place is amazing! to "can't you do something about this?" To latter we say “we did do something, it took us a decade, but isn't it wonderful?!”

05/22/2026

Learn how to certify a garden