Tree Ottawa is a community-centred initiative for the Nation’s Capital to dramatically increase the scale and ecological diversity of the urban and rural tree canopy in Ottawa. Tree Ottawa is building a greener community by engaging residents, private companies and public organizations in active efforts to protect, plant and celebrate trees in neighbourhoods and green spaces.
At Tree Ottawa we believe that our natural environment is an indispensable part of the human experience that reinforces humanity’s connections to the planet on which we depend. Here in Canada, the natural environment is practically defined by trees and the City of Ottawa rose from the timber industry to become the capital we know today. North and west of Ottawa, Canada’s Boreal forest is the largest remaining contiguous forest on the planet. In short, trees form part of the Canadian identity.
Ecology Ottawa maintains that a healthy tree canopy is essential to Ottawa’s reputation as Canada’s capital and as a livable community with one of the world’s highest quality-of-life index scores. Trees provide immeasurable ecological benefits and contribute to our psychological well-being with spaces for pause and reflection in a bustling urban capital.
Ottawa’s trees are in danger from threats including the Emerald Ash Borer, climate change, extreme weather, and poorly planned urban expansion. Sadly the City of Ottawa anticipates loosing millions of trees in just the next 3-5 years. Now, more than ever, your help is needed to ensure a strong, stable tree population to maintain the ecological balance of Ottawa’s urban spaces.
To learn more about the Tree Ottawa initiative, check out our guide for how we are going to plant a million trees in Ottawa!
Latest posts
Ottawa Eco Awards 2024 - Recipients Announced!
The 2024 Ottawa Eco Awards celebrate outstanding individuals in the Ottawa community who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to environmental stewardship, sustainability leadership, and climate action. We have been thrilled with the nominations that we have received from Ottawans for our second Ottawa Eco Awards, and we are heartened to learn about the local eco champions who inspire you.
Ecology Ottawa delegates to the Environment and Climate Change Committee on the Rain Ready Ottawa program.
Ecology Ottawa was at the City Council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee on April 16, 2024, to talk about the Rain Ready Program. We’ve provided our delegations below and you can also watch the recording.
Members of ECCC invited to webinar on incineration
On April 8, we invited members of City Council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) to attend a webinar on incineration. This webinar is timely: Council is considering incineration as an option for dealing with Ottawa’s waste, since staff has warned Council that the Trail Road Landfill—which currently receives the majority of Ottawans’ garbage—will fill up soon.