High Country Conservation Center

HOA Sustainability Champions Meeting
2026-02-25 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Denver) | Virtual
Passionate about sustainability and ready to make an impact on your HOA and across Summit County? HC3 is recruiting full-time residents to serve as HOA Sustainability Champions! Attend quarterly meetings and help your community reduce waste.

Join our first virtual meetup Feb. 25, 5–6 p.m. Interested?

Sign Up Here

Party for the Planet
2026-03-06 18:00 - 21:00 | Keystone Conference Center, 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon
Friday, March 6 | 6 – 9 PM | Keystone Conference Center, 633 Tennis Club Rd, Dillon

Get your tickets now for HC3’s biggest fundraiser of the year! Your ticket includes an evening of wine and beer, a delicious dinner, access to one of Summit County’s largest silent auctions, and plenty of fun. Every dollar raised directly supports our impactful programs.

Celebrate our community’s conservation champions with the Green Scene awards. Enjoy live music and try your luck with the gift card grab. Get creative at Iconix’s bag lab, where you can design your very own reusable tote. And don’t miss our spectacular silent auction, featuring unique experiences, wellness packages, outdoor gear, and much more.

Whether you’re rocking your favorite jeans or dressing up in your finest mountain chic, Party for the Planet is the perfect night to connect with friends, celebrate our community, and support local climate action and conservation efforts.

Prices will go up, get your ticket now!

Tickets

Play Forever Thursday at Copper Mountain 2026
2026-03-12 09:00 - 16:00 | Copper Mountain
Thursday, March 12 | Copper Mountain Ski Resort

Ski or ride to support HC3 & the local environment.

Purchase a $99 lift ticket in advance for skiing or riding at Copper Mountain on March 12th and a portion of the proceeds will benefit HC3’s environmental work across Summit County. Just by hitting the slopes, you’ll help the Summit County community reduce carbon pollution, save energy, increase recycling and composting, and conserve water.

It’s all part of Copper’s Play Forever commitment to protect the environment and support our community. All sales from March 12th will benefit High Country Conservation Center.

*Please note, $99 Play Forever Thursday lift tickets can ONLY be purchased online, in advance. They will not be sold at the ticket window

Purchase Tickets

Save Our Snow 2026
2026-04-18 09:00 - 16:00 | Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
Saturday, April 18 | 9-4 PM | Arapahoe Basin

Join HC3 and Arapahoe Basin for a fun filled day at the ski area! During the Save Our Snow event, the base area transforms into a village where you can increase your knowledge about sustainability issues in our Green Village and score prizes in our raffle and silent auction. The vibes will stay high with live music.
Special thank you to our carpoolers! We’ll be handing out small tokens of appreciation to cars with 4+ people. Claim your prize from the time lots open (7 AM) until we run out of swag.
Raffle tickets are $3 for one, $5 for two, or $20 for arm’s length raffle tickets! All proceeds benefit HC3.
Schedule:

9am-2pm: Green Village open & raffle tickets on sale

12pm-3pm: Live music

1:45/2pm: Raffle begins. Must be present to win

2:45pm: Silent Auction Ends. Must be present to win

You may buy your tickets in advance.

Learn more about winter parking here.

Earth Day Fair
2026-04-22 15:30 - 18:30 | Breckenridge Colorado Mountain College, 107 Denison Placer Road, Breckenridge
Wednesday, April 22 | Colorado Mountain College

Join us at Colorado Mountain College for an afternoon learning about rewilding- the effort to reestablish vital ecological processes by restoring key native species.

The event kicks off at 3:30 with light refreshments, then a screening of The Rewilders at 4:30, followed by a talk by Ecologist, Delia Malone.

Compost Giveaway Event
2026-05-29 09:00 - 12:00
Friday, May 29 | 9am – 12pm | Various Locations

You’ve been collecting food scraps all year long, now it’s time to reap the benefits. HC3, in partnership with the Summit County Resource Allocation Park, is offering FREE compost to food scrap participants! Bring your own bag or bucket, and stop by one of three locations on Friday, May 29th from 9am-12pm to receive your free sample of High Country Compost. Locations:

Frisco: 83 Nancy’s Place by the Summit County Community and Senior Center.

Dillon: 152 Tenderfoot Street by the Dillon Public Basketball Court.

Breckenridge: Denison Placer Rd & Coyne Valley Rd by Colorado Mountain College.

*Free compost is reserved for Food Scrap Program Participants only and there is a limit of one bag/bucket per person.*

Interested in volunteering for the Compost Giveaway? We still need extra hands! Sign up here to volunteer May 29

Annual Hard to Recycle Event
2026-05-30 08:00 - 14:00 | Summit Stage Bus Barn, 0222 County Shops Rd, Frisco, CO 80443, USA
Saturday, May 30 | 8-2 PM | Summit Stage Bus Barn

Help protect our health and local waterways by properly disposing of your household hazardous waste (HHW). Join HC3 and Summit County Government for this free drive-through event.

Accepted at the Event:

Vape Devices
Prescription and over-the-counter medications

Pill form medications: original containers preferred, but will accept any packaging

Liquid form medications: original containers only

Electronic Waste

TVs, laptops, cellphones & tablets

Computer monitors, printers, keyboards & wires

Sound systems, DVD players & VCRs

Aerosol cans, chemicals & cleaners

Paints, thinners, glues & adhesives

Fertilizers & pesticides

Gently used clothing

Batteries

Mercury thermostats and switches

Not Accepted at the Event:

No Ammunition

No Gasoline, Antifreeze, Motor oil, and Oil filters

No Appliances or Scrap Metal

No Explosives

No Infectious or Biologically active materials

No Propane tanks

No Fluorescent or CFLs bulbs

No Radioactive materials

No Commercial loads

Can’t make the event? The Summit County Resource Allocation Park accepts many of these items and more, year-round. It’s free for residents and homeowners. Learn how to dispose of your hard-to-recycle items or call HC3 at (970) 668-5703.

Interested in volunteering at the event? We still need extra hands. Sign up here to help keep our community clean.

SCRAP Convenience Center Grand Opening
2026-06-11 11:00 - 13:00
Did you know? There’s a new place in town for all of your recycling needs.

The Summit County Resource Allocation Park (SCRAP) now offers a Convenience Center, where residents can drop off a variety of recyclables at no charge! The center is set up is similar to the other three recycling drop sites, but with more items collected. No more driving through the full SCRAP grounds to drop your materials.

The Convenient Center offers drop off for the following materials:

Electronic Recycling:

Batteries

Miscellaneous Electronics (printers, stereos, dvd players, keyboards, etc.)

PC Type Devices (smart phones, tablets, computers, laptops)

Flat Screen TVs and Monitors

Tube TVs

Classic Recycling:

Plastic Bottles/Jugs/Tubs

Aluminum & Tin Cans

Glass Bottles & Jars

Mixed Paper

Cardboard

Scrap metal

Noxious Weeds

Clothing

Household Hazardous Waste

Paint/Stain

Fertilizers

Cleaners

Oil/Antifreeze

The new Center is open only during SCRAP business hours. Anyone using the Convenience Center must drive through the gatehouse to access the new recycling drop site. At the gate house, they can let the attendant know what materials they have and will be directed to the Convenience Center to the right to dispose of at no cost.

Residents with only a few bags of trash will also be able to dispose of these at the Convenience Center for a small fee.

If you’re curious to check it out, stop by on June 11th from 11am to 1pm for a “Grand Opening” event. Recycling experts with High Country Conservation Center will be on site to answer all of your recycling questions.

SCRAP Address: 639 Landfill Road, Keystone

Hours of Operation:

Mon-Fri 7a-4p

Sat 7a-12

Sun Closed

Water in the West Series
2026-06-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Highside Brewery, Highside Brewery, Frisco
Wednesday, June 17th | 5:30-7:00 PM | Highside Brewing, Frisco

Join High Country Conservation Center, Friends of the Dillon Ranger District and Blue River Watershed Group for our annual Water in the West series, highlighting water issues facing Summit County and Colorado.
These social events occur the third Wednesday each month, starting in June, at Highside Brewing in Frisco.
To kick off the summer, High Country Conservation Center (HC3) welcomes Allen Best of Big Pivots to discuss the relationship between climate change and water scarcity.
Food will be provided, so please sign up if you plan on attending! We hope to see you there!

RSVP Here

CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER -Stump the Recycling Experts - Breckenridge
2026-06-25 11:00 - 13:00 | Breckenridge Recycling Center, 284 Coyne Valley Rd, Breckenridge
Thursday, June 25th | 11am – 1pm | Breckenridge Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Breckenridge Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Stump the Recycling Experts - Silverthorne
2026-06-29 11:00 - 13:00 | Silverthorne Recycling Center, 0255 River Road, Silverthorne
Monday, June 29 | 11am – 1pm | Silverthorne Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Silverthorne Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Smart Heat Tape Controls for HOAs and Businesses
2026-06-30 16:00 - 17:00 | Virtual
Tired of your electric bills skyrocketing when you turn on your heat tape? Join us Tuesday, June 30th from at 4 pm for a virtual workshop with Powder Watts to learn how smart heat tape controls can significantly reduce energy consumption and operating costs — without compromising protection from ice dams and frozen pipes.

RSVP HERE.

The Casual Enormity of Adam Palmer Film
2026-07-02 18:30 - 21:00 | Silverthorne Pavilion, 400 Blue River Pkwy, Silverthorne, CO 80498
Join us for a viewing of The Casual Enormity of Adam Palmer, a documentary about a mountain town sustainability all-star from Eagle County who deftly created positive change in his community and throughout the region. Adam had a way of connecting you to your highest purpose, your hero’s journey, often leaving you wondering how you had gotten involved in the first place. Throughout his career, Adam was visionary in launching numerous organizations and initiatives to reduce pollution and improve resilience. This film, directed by local climate film maker Todd Anders Johnson, explores the life and impact of one mighty character while exposing the possibilities we all have to improve our lives and the things around us.

Date: Thursday, July 2nd

Time: Doors open at 6:30 pm, film starts at 7 pm.

Where: Silverthorne Pavillion

The event will end by 9 pm. Drinks available for purchase. Get your tickets here.

Stump the Recycling Experts - Silverthorne
2026-07-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Silverthorne Recycling Center, 0255 River Road, Silverthorne
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 | 11am – 1pm | Silverthorne Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Silverthorne Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Solarize Summit for Residents and Businesses
2026-07-08 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual
July 8 | 5:30-6:30pm | Virtual

Over 340 participating Summit County households and businesses. One trusted community solar program. Solarize Summit has been making solar simple since 2019—with a streamlined process and zero pressure. In 2026, new program discounts for solar panels and battery storage help offset the lost federal tax credit, putting solar-powered energy independence within reach.
Join us on July 8th from 5:30-6:30pm to learn about how you can save with solar and batteries.
Register here.

Summit Electrified: Home Electrification for Beginners- Silverthorne
2026-07-16 17:30 - 19:00 | Silverthorne Pavilion, 400 Blue River Pkwy, Silverthorne, CO 80498
What’s a heat pump, anyway? Is induction cooking really better than gas? What upgrades make sense for a Summit County home? Get answers at Summit Electrified: Home Electrification for Beginners, a homeowner workshop from HC3, Go Electric Colorado, and Town of Silverthorne. We’ll cover the upgrades that matter most — heat pumps, water heaters, and induction stoves — plus rebates from HC3, Xcel Energy, and the State of Colorado to help you take the next step.

Join us Thursday July 16, at the Silverthorne Pavilion from 5:30 pm – 7 pm.

RSVP HERE.

Presented in partnership with:

Stump the Recycling Experts - Breckenridge
2026-07-20 11:00 - 13:00 | Breckenridge Recycling Center, 284 Coyne Valley Rd, Breckenridge
Monday, July 20 | 11am – 1pm | Breckenridge Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Breckenridge Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Summit Electrified: Home Electrification for Beginners- Frisco
2026-07-21 17:30 - 19:00 | Highside Brewery, Highside Brewery, Frisco
What’s a heat pump, anyway? Is induction cooking really better than gas? What upgrades make sense for a Summit County home? Get answers at Summit Electrified: Home Electrification for Beginners, a homeowner workshop from HC3, Go Electric Colorado, and the Town of Frisco. We’ll cover the upgrades that matter most — heat pumps, water heaters, and induction stoves — plus rebates from HC3, Xcel Energy, and the State of Colorado to help you take the next step.

Join us Tuesday, July 21st at Highside Brewing Frisco from 5:30 pm – 7 pm.

RSVP HERE.

Stump the Recycling Experts - Silverthorne
2026-07-23 11:00 - 13:00 | Silverthorne Recycling Center, 0255 River Road, Silverthorne
Thursday, July 23 | 11am – 1pm | Silverthorne Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Silverthorne Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Stump the Recycling Experts - Breckenridge
2026-07-25 11:00 - 13:00 | Breckenridge Recycling Center, 284 Coyne Valley Rd, Breckenridge
Saturday, July 25th | 11am – 1pm | Breckenridge Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Breckenridge Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Stump the Recycling Experts - Frisco
2026-07-29 11:00 - 13:00 | Frisco Recycling Center, 221 Peak One Drive, Frisco
Wednesday, July 29 | 11am – 1pm | Frisco Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Frisco Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Summit Electrified: Home Electrification for Beginners- Breckenridge
2026-07-30 17:30 - 19:00
What’s a heat pump, anyway? Is induction cooking really better than gas? What upgrades make sense for a Summit County home? Get answers at Summit Electrified: Home Electrification for Beginners, a homeowner workshop from HC3, Go Electric Colorado, and Town of Breckenridge. We’ll cover the upgrades that matter most — heat pumps, water heaters, and induction stoves — plus rebates from HC3, Xcel Energy, and the State of Colorado to help you take the next step.

Join us Thursday, July 30th at Carter Park in Breckenridge from 5:30 pm – 7 pm.

RSVP HERE.

Presented in partnership with:

Stump the Recycling Experts - Breckenridge
2026-08-04 11:00 - 13:00 | Breckenridge Recycling Center, 284 Coyne Valley Rd, Breckenridge
Tuesday, August 4th | 11am – 1pm | Breckenridge Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Breckenridge Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

HC3 Turns 50: Now, Then & Always
2026-08-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Highside Brewery, Highside Brewery, Frisco
In 1976, Tim McClure founded the Summit Recycling Project with a simple mission: to reduce waste and recover resources. Fifty years later, that small-but-mighty idea has grown into the High Country Conservation Center, Summit County’s go-to nonprofit for conservation, sustainability, and local climate action.

We’re celebrating 50 years of community, conservation, and everything in between, and we want you there.

Join us for an evening of cold drinks, light bites, and a walk down memory lane as we reflect on where we started, how far we’ve come, and the values that have guided us every step of the way.

Event is free.
Registration Required.

Stump the Recycling Experts - Frisco
2026-08-14 11:00 - 13:00 | Frisco Recycling Center, 221 Peak One Drive, Frisco
Friday, August 14 | 11am – 1pm | Frisco Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Frisco Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Electrify Summit Fair
2026-08-14 15:00 - 19:00 | CMC Breckenridge (South Parking Lot): 107 Denison Placer Rd, Breckenridge, 107 Denison Placer Rd, Breckenridge, 80424, United States
Curious about heat pumps? Ready to try induction cooking? Wondering how electric cars perform in the mountains? Come see, touch, and test the future of home energy at HC3’s Electrify Summit Fair. Chat with local vendors, watch a live cooking demo, take an e-bike or EV for a spin, and find out what rebates from HC3, Xcel Energy, and the state of Colorado could mean for your home.

Your rain dances worked and the monsoon is back! In case of showers, we’ll be setting up inside the CMC campus building.

Already drive an EV and love it? Show it off at the Electrify Summit Fair! We’re looking for electric vehicle owners to showcase their rides at this event. Whether you drive a Tesla, Chevy Bolt, Rivian, or anything in between, your car and your story help other Summit County residents see what it’s really like to go electric — the range, the charging, the savings, all of it. Register here to showcase your EV.

This event is presented in partnership with:

Stump the Recycling Experts - Silverthorne
2026-08-17 11:00 - 13:00 | Silverthorne Recycling Center, 0255 River Road, Silverthorne
Wednesday, August 17, 2026 | 11am – 1pm | Silverthorne Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Silverthorne Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!

Water in the West
2026-08-19 17:30 - 19:00 | Highside Brewery, Highside Brewery, Frisco
Wednesday, August 19 | 5:30 – 7:30pm | Highside in Frisco

Join us this summer for our Water in the West speaker series. Each month, local organizations will explore critical water issues impacting our region. Join the conversation and become part of the solution through these free, inspirational, and educational events.

August 19th: Hosted by Friends of the Dillon Ranger District
Speakers: Catherine Schloegel and Taylor Hawes from The Nature Conservancy
Topic: Forests and Watersheds

These events are free to the community and will have food available. Please sign up so we can have an accurate headcount for food. Drinks (adult beverages or otherwise) not included.

Register Here

An Evening with Pattie Gonia: Keynote, Drag & Dance Party
2026-08-21 19:30 - 22:00
Friday, August 21 | 7:30 PM | Riverwalk Center

Come for the climate, stay for the drag, and dance it out — Pattie Gonia brings an electrifying night of advocacy, performance, and party to BIFA.

Part inspiring talk, part drag performance, and part dance party, this immersive experience invites audiences to reflect, connect, and take action. In Nature’s Strategies for Advocacy and Action, critically acclaimed environmentalist and drag queen Pattie Gonia (she/they) explores how allyship, resilience, and regeneration in the natural world can guide us toward a more inclusive and sustainable future. Through humor, storytelling, and interactive moments, Pattie empowers audiences — queer folks, allies, and anyone eager to drive change — to discover their role in shaping what comes next.

Then, the energy shifts from reflection to celebration with a drag performance with Pattie Gonia and special guest LeeLee, followed by a dance party with DJ Matt Suave of Play Haus, plus a meet + greet.

Questions? Check out our FAQ Page.

Doors Open at 7 PM

Get your tickets before they sell out here.

Stump the Recycling Experts - Frisco
2026-08-29 11:00 - 13:00 | Frisco Recycling Center, 221 Peak One Drive, Frisco
Saturday, August 29 | 11am – 1pm | Frisco Recycling Center

Get your recycling questions answered when you recycle at the Frisco Recycling Center. HC3 staff and volunteers will be on-site to help you learn more about recycling in our community. It’s your chance to find out where your recycling goes, ask your toughest questions, and find out more about HC3’s programs and events. We are here to help!

Can’t make it? We will be at recycling centers around the county all summer. Check out our event page to find a Stump the Recycling Experts event near you!
