More than a thousand people gathered at Fox Lane High School Saturday for a day of lectures and workshops as a part of the Bedford Environmental Forum.

"We need to educate people, we need to change behavior, and the only way you can do that is by giving people information,? says Ellen Conrad, of the Bedford Garden Club.

Some of the issues addressed at the forum this year were oil consumption, biodiversity and the importance of eating locally. The event also featured an exposition showcasing more than 50 booths dedicated to sustainability.

?It?s about encouraging our local farmers to continue to have farms, and it preserves open space in doing so,? says Cynthia Brennan, the founder of a food market in Bedford Hills.

The town's energy advisory panel has been working on reducing Bedford's carbon footprint 20 percent by 2020. Organizers hope the concept of this summit will serve as an example for other communities across the country.

"We really hope everybody takes what they learned here and actually does something about it," says Mary Beth Kass, of the Bedford Energy Advisory Panel. "And we really think of today as the beginning of the next phase for our town."