Inspiring student storytellers with the Bondar Challenge
Capture the world around you through nature’s lens
By EcoSchools Canada & Edge Imaging
Can you remember the first time you took a photograph? Or the last special picture you took of the world around you? Whether you can recall the feeling of a shutter click during a family camping trip or the scramble to pull out your camera phone for a pause-worthy sunset, there is a reason we choose to capture the images we do, from the moments that mark our growth to the ones that help us notice and appreciate the world around us.
How photography deepens our connection to nature
Photographs and images tell us stories. They hold memories and sometimes can even capture a feeling. From an environmental perspective, photography has played a key role in helping people feel a deeper sense of connection to nature. For example, an animal we may never have the chance to see in person can appear before us through the pages of a nature magazine, a news report, or a friend’s travel highlights reel. Likewise, photographs can transport us to remote, untouched landscapes and ecosystems we might otherwise not experience. Photos, especially nature photography, act as a window into the natural world, giving us access to new, exciting, and unfamiliar subjects and surroundings while expanding our sense of Earth’s diversity and beauty.
A single image can change how we see the planet
Image credit: NASA / Apollo 8 – “Earthrise”
One of the most notable instances of impactful nature photography is “Earthrise”, an image you may be familiar with. Taken during the December 1964 Apollo 8 space mission, the image of Earth in the backdrop of open space revealed our vibrant, interconnected planet and the responsibility we share to protect it. Described by nature photographer Galen Rowell as “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken,” it was a key inspiration for the creation of “Earth Day,” now widely recognized and celebrated each year around the world.
Bringing the Bondar Challenge to students across Canada
Photography connects us, it moves us, and it invites us to pause and reflect on the subject in focus. Guided by this intention, EcoSchools Canada, Edge Imaging, and The Bondar Foundation came together to present the Bondar Challenge this year, creating meaningful opportunities for students to explore photography as a way of seeing and understanding the natural world. And we are thrilled to have had a record number of entries from 600 applicants! Through this program, students become storytellers of their own connections to nature, deepening their relationship with the environments around them.
We are thrilled to announce the 2025-26 Bondar Challenge winners!
These talented students captured powerful moments in nature, showcasing creativity, curiosity, and a deep connection to the world around them. Their photographs tell remarkable stories of local ecosystems and the beauty found in natural spaces.
Congratulations to all of our winners. We can’t wait for you to experience their inspiring images and the reflections behind them.
(CITE) Editors of Life. 100 Photographs that Changed the World. Life Books, 2003.