High Country Conservation Center

Virtual Q&A: Recycling 101 with HC3
2020-01-01 00:00 (America/Denver)
Bring this bag home! The first 25 people to order $25 or more from Red Buffalo receive this reusable bag. Use coupon code FREE HCCC BAG at checkout.

HC3 needs your help recycling the right way. That means recycling only what’s accepted and trashing the rest. Join us for a virtual show and tell on Tuesday, April 14. We’ll talk about where our recycling goes, what’s accepted at the local drop-off centers, and answer your toughest recycling questions.

Since we can’t meet over a cup of coffee, we’re encouraging you to pre-order coffee in advance from Red Buffalo Café in Silverthorne. The first 25 people who place an order of $25 or more receive a free reusable (and washable) shopping bag. Just use coupon code FREE HCCC BAG when you check out.

So go ahead. Grab your coffee, plug in your headphones and join us on April 14
RSVP NOW to submit questions in advance and receive the livestream login.
RSVP is required to join this virtual event.

POSTPONED: Silverthorne Recycling Center Grand Opening & Recycling Q&A
2020-01-01 00:00
The Silverthorne Recycling Center is open to the public, however the Grand Opening Celebration and Recycling Q&A has been postponed. A new date will be selected this spring/summer.
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Join Summit County Government, Denver Water, and local towns for the grand opening of the new Silverthorne Recycling Center. HC3 staff will be on site to answer recycling questions and give away free compost buckets.
The Silverthorne Recycling Center is located at 0255 River Road in Silverthorne, adjacent to the Blue River Ball Fields, which are near the Outlets at Silverthorne. The drop-off center is similar to those in Breckenridge and Frisco. Materials accepted include plastic bottles #1 & #2, aluminum and tin, cardboard, mixed paper, milk and juice cartons, clear glass, colored glass, batteries, scrap metal, and food scraps. See a map of all recycling centers here.

The Silverthorne Recycling Center is a Summit County Strong Future Initiative.
Recycling Q&A at The Baker’s Brewery
Following the event, HC3 staff will answer recycling questions from 5-6 p.m. at The Baker’s Brewery, located at 531 Silverthorne Lane. Bring your toughest recycling questions to this casual, drop-in event and learn what happens to local recycling. The Baker’s Brewery will offer their regular happy hour with $2 off beer, $1 off wells and wine, and 25% off the appetizer menu.

Play it Forward at Copper Mountain Resort
2020-01-01 00:00
Ski Copper. Do good.

When you purchase a Copper Mountain lift ticket for Wednesday, January 27,$5 of your purchase will be donated to High Country Conservation Center. You’ll help protect this amazing place we call home, and you’ll get to enjoy some of the best skiing and riding in Colorado. Remember, your ticket must be for Wednesday, January 27.
BUY TICKETS NOW

Have a Copper season pass already?
Make a donation where it matters most – in our own backyard.
MAKE A DONATION

Summit Sustainable Building Code Open House
2020-01-01 00:00
Summit Sustainable Building Code Open House
Wednesday, January 29
3:30 – 5 PM
Loveland Room, Summit County Community & Senior Center
83 Nancy’s Place, Frisco
Members of the building community are invited to learn about upcoming changes to local building codes and training opportunities. Light refreshments will be provided. For questions, please email Jess.

Volunteer at the 12th Annual CAIC Benefit Bash Copy
2020-01-01 00:00
If you want to be a part of the biggest party of the year in support of the CAIC then sign up to volunteer at the 12th Annual CAIC Benefit Bash presented by the Friends of the CAIC.
Volunteer as a Zero Waste Warrior and help reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill through recycling and composting efforts.
Each volunteer will receive free entry into the event, a “Waste Warrior” volunteer t-shirt, and dinner catered at the event. Volunteers will also be able to participate in the gear giveaways and can dance the night away to the great 80’s music from The Goonies.
For more info and to sign up click the button below.

CLIMATE TALK: Disruption: Defining Radical in the Age of Humans
2020-01-01 00:00
DISRUPTION: DEFINING RADICAL IN THE AGE OF HUMANS
Speaker: Rob Davies
Bio: Robert Davies is a physicist and noted science communicator whose work focuses on complexity, global change and human vibrancy. Over the past decade Rob has delivered hundreds of public lectures ― to policymakers, business leaders, civic organizations and faith communities ― and his “performance science” theatrical collaboration The Crossroads Project | Rising Tide has been performed across the U.S. and in three countries. Dr. Davies has served as a scientific liaison for NASA on the International Space Station Project; as a project scientist with USU’s Space Dynamics Laboratory; and an officer and meteorologist in the United States Air Force. Originally hailing from the Black Hills of South Dakota, Rob is currently Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Utah State University’s Dept. of Physics, in Logan, Utah.

About the talk:

The BAD news…Sixty percent of Earth’s wildlife has disappeared in the past forty years. Ninety-nine percent of Earth’s coral reefs will likely be gone within two decades; and humanity’s disruption of the planetary climate is accelerating toward thresholds of extreme risk. Meanwhile forty million people today exist in modern slavery; seventy million are forcibly displaced from their homes; more than two billion live in states of critical deprivation; and just thirty individuals today possess the wealth of the world’s poorest half ― 3.8 billion people.

The GOOD news…The human systems driving this situation… are going away. Humanity’s systems of food, energy, and economy require more resources than Earth can provide ― by a wide margin. The physics is crystal clear: The likelihood that these systems of ecological devastation will persist, for even a few more decades, is essentially zero.

The BAD news…We exist in a state of planetary emergency. The party’s raging and we’re nowhere close to meeting the challenge.

The GOOD news…We haven’t really tried.

We have what we need to build a sustainable, just, and vibrant space for humanity. With courage and resolve, we stand on the edge of extraordinary achievement.

Let’s try.

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Presented by HC3, the Towns of Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, and Silverthorne, and Summit County government.

Zero Waste Ambassador Training Intro
2020-01-01 00:00
Are you interested in conservation and making a difference in your community?
Become a Zero Waste Ambassador with High Country Conservation!
Join HC3 and your neighbors to learn more about how to sort recyclables, where our recycling goes, and how you can make a positive impact in our beautiful mountain community. In this intro session, you’ll learn what happens to our recycling and test your knowledge of what’s recyclable locally. You can help others to be up to date with recycling in our area and become an advocate for making Summit County waste-free!

Zero Waste Ambassadors are in-the-know recycling experts who share their knowledge with family, friends, and neighbors. Ambassadors also help us understand common questions or confusion residents may have about recycling. You’ll get first dibs on our most-fun recycling projects and you’ll help our community become leaders in zero waste. It’s a small time commitment and it’s an easy way to do what you do best – care!

RSVP to stephanie@highcountryconservation.org by December 9th.

The meeting will be held in the Hobby Room at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. Please dress for the possibility of being outdoors – as time and temperature allow, we may walk over to the recycling drop-off center.

Zero Waste Ambassador Intro Training
2020-01-01 00:00

Volunteer at the 12th Annual CAIC Benefit Bash
2020-01-01 00:00

Restaurant & Commercial Kitchen Food Waste Workshop
2020-01-01 00:00
Would you like your restaurant or commercial kitchen to become more environmentally friendly or more involved in your community? Restaurant composting is a great solution! Join High Country Conservation Center, Town of Breckenridge, and your peers to learn how to collect food waste for composting, discover hauler service options, and get the tools you need to start a composting program in your kitchen. We encourage not just restaurants, but also hotels and any business with a commercial kitchen to attend this free educational workshop.

Join us on November 21st from 8:45 am-10 am at the Breckenridge Council Chambers for coffee and donuts, and to learn how composting can reduce your environmental impact, potentially save you money on trash disposal, and offer you a new way to connect with the people in your community!

Please email Jessie at jessieb@townofbreckenridge.com by November 19 to RSVP. We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions? Call us at 970-668-5703

Film: The Human Element
2020-01-01 00:00
HC3 invites you to a free public screening of film THE HUMAN ELEMENT.

Film Synopsis:

In an arresting new documentary from the producers of RACING EXTINCTION, THE COVE and

CHASING ICE, environmental photographer James Balog captures the lives of everyday Americans on

the front lines of climate change. With rare compassion and heart, THE HUMAN ELEMENT relays

captivating stories from coast-to-coast, inspiring us to reevaluate our relationship with the natural

world.

View the trailer: https://thehumanelementmovie.com/

Doors open at 6PM. Film starts at 6:30 followed by short audience discussion.

© 2016 James Balog/Earth Vision Institute

Free Energy Workshop for Owners of Commercial Buildings
2020-01-01 00:00
Learn how energy improvements can benefit your commercial building and the environment!

Join us on Wednesday, October 16, at the Summit County Community and Senior Center in the Hoosier Room from 12 pm to 1:30 pm for a free luncheon and workshop on energy efficiency and renewable energy for commercial buildings.

Owners and operators will learn about the Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing tool that allows commercial building owners to finance qualifying energy efficiency, water conservation, and clean energy improvements to their existing or newly constructed properties. C-PACE makes projects cost-effective and encourages property owners to invest in newer, greener technologies.

RSVP by Monday, October 14 by emailing Jess: jess@highcountryconservation.org

Water at Risk Series: Breckenridge Film Festival
2020-01-01 00:00
Join High Country Conservation Center as we open the “Water at Risk” series at the Breckenridge Film Festival. This series showcases two short films on what happens to the water ecosystem and the communities when they are threaten.

Learn about the challenges we face in our own community and what you can do to protect our water resources.

THE FILMS
The Wild
How do you save what you love
Synopsis: Fresh into addiction recovery, an urgent threat emerges to spur filmmaker, Mark Titus back to the Alaskan wilderness – where the people of Bristol Bay and the world’s largest wild salmon runs face devastation if a massive copper mine is constructed.
Ashes to Ashes
Synopsis: A small community in Northeast Alabama. A mayor whose town sits on the river’s banks. A businessman in the Mobile Bay. All of these communities are impacted by coal ash. This film tells the grim story of coal ash in Alabama.

Summit County Waste Audit
2020-01-01 00:00
Volunteer with HC3 as we conduct a waste audit at the Summit County Landfill. You will be helping sort through waste streams from all over the county so we can determine how to develop our recycling programs to increase diversion for the decades to come.

This is all part of the goal to divert 40% of our waste from the landfill by 2035.

The Colorado River in a Changing Climate: Past, Present, and Future
2020-01-01 00:00
How will climate change impact water availability in Colorado? HC3 and the Summit Climate Action Collaborative host Brad Udall, CSU Senior Water and Climate Research Scientist, to give a talk on climate change and water, Wednesday September 18 from 6 – 7:30 at the Frisco Adventure Park Day Lodge.

Since 2000, the Colorado River has been in an extended drought. On average, annual flows are down over 16%. This is true even with years like the just-passed winter of 2018-2019. Since the start of the drought, the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lakes Mead and Powell, have lost over 40% of their water storage. Only a year ago, the summer of 2018 was the warmest and driest in the gage record of the basin going all the way back to 1895. Scientists have tied the decline in flows to higher temperatures from our rapidly changing climate. What is the future of this river upon which near all Coloradans depend in some way?

We will be drawing for two FREE tickets for the BreckFilm Fest’s “Water at Risk” Series premiering on Friday, Sept. 20 which will feature two films, ASHES TO ASHES and this year’s winner of best documentary film, THE WILD. https://www.facebook.com/events/1367655253389582/

Food and drinks provided; cash bar will be open. We hope you will join us!

About the speaker:
Brad Udall serves as senior water and climate research scientist at the Colorado Water Institute. He has extensive experience in water and climate policy issues, most recently as the director of the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment and the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on water management and climate change which have been published by the federal government and major journals.

HC3 Community Celebration
2020-01-01 00:00
Join HC3 for a Community Celebration at the CSA Farm!

Tour the CSA Farm, learn about the exciting programs HC3 is doing, and enjoy appetizers and complimentary wine and HighSide beer while you mingle with HC3 staff and board members and other community members.

We look forward to seeing you!
Please RSVP to help us plan.

Summit Climate Ambassadors Meeting
2020-01-01 00:00
Do you want to be active in the climate action efforts in our Summit County community?
Be a Summit Climate Ambassador!

HC3 invites you to the first meeting of the Summit Climate Ambassadors, on Wednesday, July 31. This group will meet bimonthly to get updates on implementation of the Climate Action Plan and brainstorm ideas for community outreach. We’ll also ask Ambassadors to help share climate action information with friends and neighbors.

Silverthorne - Solarize Info Session Copy
2020-01-01 00:00
Get your Solarize Summit questions answered!

The Solarize team will be at Angry James Brewing in Silverthorne on June 20th from 5:30-7 PM to answer your Solarize Summit questions. Come find out all the benefits of this program and why now is time to go solar!

For more information, check out our solarize website and sign up for a free site assessment at no obligation.

Town of Dillon sessions available and Frisco sessions TBA.

Dillon - Solarize info Sessions
2020-01-01 00:00
Get your Solarize Summit questions answered!

The Solarize team will be at the Dillon Farmers Market July 26 and August 16 from 9 AM – 2 PM to answer your Solarize Summit questions. Come find out all the benefits of this program and why now is time to go solar!

Did you hear the good news? The program has surpassed its 150 kW (25 households) sign up goal! Which means that everyone who signs a contract under this program until August 31 will receive $500 from the installer Active Energies Solar. Don’t wait. Join your neighbors and save!

For more information, check out our solarize website and sign up for a FREE solar site assessment at no obligation.

Solarize Summit – Info Sessions Copy
2020-01-01 00:00
NEXT SESSION:
Breckenridge community – get your Solarize Summit questions answered!
Breckenridge Town Council recently approved $1,500 rebates per residential system for the first 25 systems installed.

The Solarize team will be at the Multi-Purpose Room, Breckenridge Recreation Center anytime during 5:30-7 PM to learn more about the benefits of the program and how you can sign up for a free site assessment at no obligation.

Don’t wait! Learn how you can take advantage of these exclusive program offers to go solar and start saving.
COMING UP:
Dillon | Dillon Farmers Market
June 11, July 26, & August 16
9am – 2 pm

Frisco and Silverthorne sessions TBA!

Silverthorne - Solarize Info Session
2020-01-01 00:00
Get your Solarize Summit questions answered!

The Solarize team will be at Angry James Brewing in Silverthorne on June 20th from 5:30-7 PM to answer your Solarize Summit questions. Come find out all the benefits of this program and why now is time to go solar!

For more information, check out our solarize website and sign up for a free site assessment at no obligation.

Town of Dillon and Frisco sessions available.

Home Energy Audit - Informational Workshop
2020-01-01 00:00
Join HC3 and the Summit Combined Housing Authority for a FREE informational session on the benefits of a Home Energy Audit. Learn about the energy audit process and the high impact improvements to your home to increase comfort, efficiency, & save you money. Find out about the many rebate & incentive programs.

Play a part in something BIG: caring for our planet by reducing your home’s carbon footprint.

Open to all in the community especially those in affordable housing. Attendees will receive a FREE LED Lighting Kit to start saving right away!

Space is limited. Please RSVP to cody@highcountryconservation.org

Sponsored by Summit Combined Housing Authority and presented by High Country Conservation Center.

Leslie's Garden: New Gardener Orientation & Planting
2020-01-01 00:00
If you are a plot holder or someone interested in signing up for a plot at Leslie’s Garden, then please join us on Saturday, June 1 from 10 am – 12 pm for an orientation and planting session at Leslie’s Community Garden in Dillon.

We will have a meet and greet from 10 am – 10:30 am followed by the orientation from 10:30 am – 11 am. After that, there will be a planting session for those who are interested and some time to mingle from 11 am – 12 pm.

We hope to see you there!

Frisco – Solarize Info Sessions
2020-01-01 00:00
Get your Solarize Summit questions answered!

The Solarize team will be at HighSide Brewing in Frisco on June 19th from 5:30-7 PM to answer your Solarize Summit questions. Come find out all the benefits of this program and why now is time to go solar!

For more information, check out our solarize website and sign up for a free site assessment at no obligation.

Now IS the time. Learn how you can take advantage of these exclusive program offers to go solar and start saving.

More info sessions available in Dillon and Silverthorne.

Garden Workshop: Plot Planning, Season Extenders, and Pest Management
2020-01-01 00:00
Are you ready to start planting your vegetable garden? Let’s take it to the next level! Join HC3 gardener Kyla Laplante in this free workshop to help you hone your gardening skills. The focus will be on garden plot planning, extending the garden season and pest management. Kyla is the farmer for Summit County’s wildly popular Community Supported Agriculture program.

Garden Workshop: Plant Your Garden With HC3
2020-01-01 00:00
This is your chance to spend time in the garden with some HC3 gardeners! All plot holders from the Breckenridge Community Garden are encouraged to bring your seeds and plant your garden this evening. There will be on site education and support from Kyla Laplante and Camille Shoemaker, the farmers for Summit County’s CSA. Gardeners who don’t have a plot at the Breckenridge Garden are welcome to come and learn, but won’t be able to plant a plot. Have your seeds in hand for this outside event.

Solarize Summit Kick-Off
2020-01-01 00:00
This summer, HC3 and the Climate Action Collaborative are launching Solarize Summit, a campaign to spread solar energy across the community. At the May 30 kick-off event, come learn about solar energy and special deals available in Summit County this summer only. The more people that sign up, the greater the discounts will be – so tell all your neighbors to come. Let’s work together as a community to Solarize Summit!

More information and no-obligation signup is available on our Solarize Summit page.

Drive Electric Earth Day
2020-01-01 00:00
On April 24, head to the south parking lot at CMC’s Breckenridge campus to check out some of the electric vehicles that cruise around Summit County’s roads (including a Proterra bus) and chat with the locals that drive them!

Learn what it’s like to drive an EV in the winter, get more info about models available in Colorado, and bust some common EV myths.

Drivers of all electric and hybrid vehicles, click here to bring your car to the event.

This event is hosted jointly by HC3, the Town of Breckenridge, and the Headwaters Group of the Sierra Club.

Party for the Planet Earth Day Event
2020-01-01 00:00
Join HC3 at HighSide Brewery on Earth Day – Monday, April 22 at 5PM to party for the planet! We’ll be on-site to share brews and conversations about community climate goals, new recycling efforts and more.

HighSide, located at 720 Main St. in Frisco, Colo., will offer a free drink that evening to anyone who makes a $10 donation to HC3. Expect giveaways, stickers and like-minded neighbors who care about stopping climate change.

Garden Workshop: Intro to High Altitude Gardening
2020-01-01 00:00
Want to get a jump start on the gardening season? Join us as HC3 gardener Susie Nothnagel instructs you on the basics of high altitude vegetable gardening. This free workshop is geared towards new gardeners who want to learn the foundation of what grows well in our climate and how to get started.

Applications are now open for community gardens. LEARN MORE.
