Fernie (BC), Canada (Thursday, June 29, 2006) - The plaza at Fernie Alpine Resort was recently filled with the unlikely combination of high school students, french fries and biodiesel. Local students from Fernie Secondary have developed a way of turning waste fryer oil into biodiesel, which they will now use to fuel the ski and snowboard resort's front end loader.

The program is called "Zero Waste," and is part of the Rocky Mountain Education Series, coordinated through Wildsight, an organization designed to facilitate learning experiences for youth that promote understanding and awareness of local waste issues, explore creative solutions to minimize and utilize waste, and ultimately empower young people to make a difference locally while addressing issues that are of concern on a global level.

Says Matt Mosteller, Senior Director of Business Development with Fernie Alpine Resort, "We love being involved with the community in a number of projects on an ongoing basis. The great outcome of this project is that it provides local students the opportunity to apply their learning in a hands-on setting, while giving Fernie Alpine Resort another means to operate in an environmentally conscious manner. We're thrilled with the outcome and look forward to future involvement with Wildsight and Fernie Secondary students."

Biodiesel is a diesel-equivalent processed fuel that is derived from a biological source, which in this case, was fryer grease from one of Fernie Alpine Resort's food services kitchen.