by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 01/98) - Students at Ecole St. Joseph's school in Yellowknife are serious about caring for their piece of the planet.

That's why 38 of them signed up with the Destination Conservation group in the school.

"It's a good group. We do some fun activities. We go to the dump, sometimes stay after school and organize paper, crush boxes and crush cans and stuff like that," said Melanie Gueguen, a member of the group.

Gina Michel, another DC member, also enjoys learning about recycling and going on field trips.

Friend Katie Strocel, agrees and adds that she is always looking out for the environment.

"When I walk home on the rocks behind the school. There's this one spot that people have a fort and they have a whole bunch of styrofoam around it and it got everywhere with the wind. It really makes me upset so I told my teacher we should really go up there and clean it up," said Strocel.

Destination Conservation, a joint initiative of the GNWT and the Yellowknife Catholic School Board, is a means to modify energy management in two Catholic schools, St. Joseph and Weledeh.

"The DC program is student-driven. It's the students who make it happen. They decide what they're going to do in the schools," said Greg Krysko, energy management program co-ordinator with the group.

The group's primary goal is the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions, the suspected cause of global climate change.

Krysko, a past employee with the GNWT and now an employee of Arctic Energy Alliance, delivers the program to St. Joseph students.

Teacher Carmen Gobeil works closely with Krysko to run the program. "What we try to do is have two or three campaigns going on at once. Right now we're working on waste-free lunches ... and we started composting this week," said Gobeil.

Last week the group celebrated Earth Day with a sculpture made from recyclables, a poster contest and a treasure hunt.

In two weeks they will be at the Yellowknife Trade Show with a display of items people can recycle.

"I love to see the kids get so involved," said Gobeil. "They're becoming very aware. They realize you don't have to buy everything new."

The group is planning talk with city hall soon and ask to plant flowers in front of the building for everyone to see.