Sudbury Catholic District School Board (SCDSB) staff and students recently celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the implementation at all schools of the Dearness Conservation (DC) Program, a program developed by the Dearness Environmental Society! At this celebration Board administration took the opportunity to thank the teachers and students by acknowledging their efforts and successes. Each school used this opportunity to highlight their achievements by showcasing their projects in a display booth setting. A variety of local officials and representatives attended including the City of Greater Sudbury’s Depute Mayor, Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, and Mrs.Theresa Spencer, a Ministry of Education representative. Several guest speakers addressed the Sudbury Catholic Schools participants with interactive presentations. Mr. Franco Mariotti, Biologist/Staff Scientist at Science North presented the link between school and Community Initiatives; Stephen Monet, Manager of Environmental Planning Initiatives at the City of Greater Sudbury discussed the issues of Biodiversity and Sustainability; Charles Ramcharan, from Laurentian University gave an update on local water health and “The return of the Lakes”. Background: In 2001, the SCDSB embarked on a journey with the Dearness Environmental Society to implement a student driven environmental program that would focus on assisting schools in reducing energy, waste and water in their facilities. The Dearness Environmental Society completed this task by delivering student-aimed interactive presentations to each school. On a yearly basis, a teacher and his /her class acts as the lead for their school by spearheading the implementation of the conservation program to achieve their reduction goals. The class conducts an audit of their school to determine which areas should be the focus to achieve environment reduction. Based on the audit, an action plan is developed and implemented to address the issues. The results are measured and its success is celebrated. The implementation of the Dearness Conservation in addition to other efficiency improvements and retrofit projects has generated $150,000 of savings a year for the Board. The Director of Education, Catherine McCullough states “The Sudbury Catholic District School Board has made its commitment to Dearness Conservation a major priority for the Board as evident in our Strategic Priorities – “We are called to live a culture of stewardship in the use of all resources.” This ongoing commitment is a focus in everyone of our schools, as well as with our staff, and I am quite proud of our continued efforts as we all recognize the importance of taking responsibility for protecting the earth's natural environment”. In its ongoing effort in promoting sustainability, the SCDSB continues to focus on educating its students on the links between energy conservation and the environment. Their actions are making an impact by reducing the demands on Mother Earth. Sudbury Catholic Schools students and staff endorse and support the concept of being “stewards of the earth”. Students, custodians, teachers and administrative staff continue to work hand in hand on improving our environment by reducing our resource intake at school as well as at home. Dearness Environmental Society: The Dearness Environmental Society is a dynamic not for profit organization committed to providing environmental education and services to schools, communities and businesses in Ontario. Their mission is to develop, integrate and implement economically and environmentally sustainable practices in buildings and homes.