ABOUT
SUBURBITAT
We call it SUBURBITAT — a vision of a built environment where suburbia and native ecosystems exist side by side. SUBURBITAT promotes public awareness of how communities can restore natural resources, conserve water, and support pollinators through the thoughtful use of native plants in our landscapes.
We believe that both wildlife and humanity can thrive on the same land. We envision a world in which children attend schools surrounded by pollinator gardens, families walk dogs on streets shaded by native trees, and communities enjoy clean local water supplies thanks to native plants filtering and sequestering nutrients around lakes and streams.
Through SUBURBITAT, High Plains Environmental Center advances this vision every day — promoting public awareness of land stewardship, providing education in gardening, nature journaling, and birding, and offering recreational opportunities through our community gardens and trails.
We felt so strongly about it that we wrote the book on it!
What people are saying:
“Finally, a book that takes the theory behind cultivating native plants for both people and wildlife and translates it into real, practical applications. Even if you don’t plan to install native landscapes, the story alone is fascinating.”
Jenn Bousselot – Assistant Professor of Horticulture, CSU, co-author, Common Southwestern Native Plants
The High Plains Environmental Center works to educate communities to become replicable “living laboratories” which demonstrate restorative examples of land-stewardship, native plants, and wildlife habitat.
We want you to visit our site and get inspired to plant native in your own space.
We want to give the community access to affordable environmental education.
We want to grow and sell native plants not for profit but for good, & we price sales accordingly.
COLLABORATION
CONSERVATION
EDUCATION
COMMUNICATION
High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC), a 510(c)(3) non-profit, was created as a collaborative effort to promote sustainable land use in Colorado’s high plains ecosystem. The center’s work is to use native plants and environments to develop nature-based solutions that address the impacts of development. Founded with the vision of educating citizens and developers about land use aligned with Colorado’s unique climate, HPEC serves as a demonstration center showcasing thoughtful, sustainable practices where the mountains meet the prairie.
HPEC’s creation was driven by Tom Hoyt of McStain Enterprises and supported by Chad and Troy McWhinney, master developers of Centerra. These visionary leaders, with backing from the Loveland City Council, helped establish the center to protect the areas lakes and wetlands and provide programs on sustainable design. Two nonprofits were formed: HPEC focuses on education and outreach, while the High Plains Foundation owns and maintains the land and assets. Both were incorporated in 2001, with a Board of Trustees overseeing each organization.
OUR VISION
In May 2017, HPEC proudly unveiled our new educational visitor center, dedicated to preserving and restoring Colorado’s unique native biodiversity amid ongoing development. Our center features expansive gardens and interactive exhibits thar showcase how native plants enhance wildlife habitats and contribute to effective water conservation in landscaping, open spaces, and urban stormwater management. Adjacent to HPEC, the Thompson School District opened a new pre-K through 8 school in 2016. This school, designed to foster a collaborative relationship with HPEC, emphasizes a STEAM curriculum with a strong focus on science and environmental Sustainability.