BOSTON -- Skiers are known to be an environmentally sensitive group, as they rely on Mother Nature to supply the snow.

NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported that one local ski resort is leading the way in the greening of the sport.

Skiing has always been a fickle business for the New England ski resorts. For Wachusett Mountain, keeping the snow on the slopes keeps the skiers for the season, but keeping the slopes sustainable will keep them here for many years.

Being green is as important as keeping the mountain full of fresh powder.

"One thing that we've learned is that our skiers want to make sure that what we are doing here is sustainable, environmentally sensitive, environmentally conscious," Wachusett Mountain General Manager David Crowley said.

Part of being environmentally conscious is finding green alternatives. Wachusett is one of only three ski resorts in the Northeast to convert all of their groomers from gas-guzzlers to the environmentally-friendly biodiesel fuel. Every piece of equipment is fueled with recycled cooking oil.

The oil that is used in the base lodge's fryolators gases up the groomers. It is cleaner energy, while being recycled from a renewable resource.

"We generated about 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of fryolator oil. We now just run that right into the snow cats, and when the snow cats are up on the mountain it actually smells a little like French fries. I think there is an added benefit there," Crowley said.

Biodiesel fuel is used for the snow removal operation. All four vehicles are fueled by it, and biodiesel is used for the backup generators. From the oil to the water -- even the snow is sustainable. The water used for snowmaking comes from a 10-million gallon pond at the base of the mountain.

The guns are energy efficient, and the heat from the air compressors is circulated back to the lodge supplying it with 100 percent of its heating.

"Environmental Magazine said that skiers are the most environmentally sensitive and conscious Americans. Some of the things that we have to do as ski area operators are be stewards of the land that they use and that they recreate on," Crowley said.