Roberta Bondar inspiring youth to mark Ontario 150 with photos of nature

It was 25 years ago that Sault Ste Marie's Roberta Bondarbecame the first Canadian woman to shoot into space.

She says that trip really stuck with her and inspired her to want to protect the planet.

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Bondarwas at Science North in Sudbury, Ont., on Thursdayto talk with students.

She wants to get youth outside exploring nature and photographing the natural wonders of our environment.

It's part of Ontario 150BondarChallenge.

Will it still be around in 150 years?

The hope is that those same wonders will still existin 150 years, says Bondar.

"We getthem to take a photograph and describe that photograph and why it was important to them. And to ask questions. We're trying to combine art and science so that people have the curiosity and the creativity that both disciplines offer."

Photographs can be sent to www.therobertabondarfoundation.org.

"When you think about all our resources, really, the only one that's renewable all the time is sunlight. When we look at our planet we have to look at thewonderful organisms that take that sunlight and produce it."

Bondaris also an avid photographer. Her pictures are being featured in an exhibit at the science centre.

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She was in Sudbury as part of a seven city tour across northern Ontario,called Earth Matters. It'sa partnership between Science North and theRobertaBondarFoundation.

With the tour, Bondar has already been to Sault Ste Marie, North Bay andTimmins.Dates for ManitoulinIsland will be confirmed shortly.

It was when she was on Discovery 25 years ago that Bondar says shelooked out on to earth and committed to protecting theplanet.

"If we don'tlearn to respect [the environment], or teach kids coming through that this is important to us it will bite us in the tail."