Our Theory of Change
By engaging and broadening a place-based movement of residents who care deeply about ecological protection and feel connected to the place they call home, we can effectively mobilize people to foster systemic changes, influence policy and grow community focus on ensuring the well-being of people and nature in Ottawa.
Who we are
Ecology Ottawa is a not-for-profit, grassroots and volunteer-driven organization.
We believe that Ottawa residents are concerned about issues such as climate change, pollution and waste, and that they want sustainable communities where clean energy, air, and water, public transit, active transportation and greenspace protection take priority. We provide residents with the information and tools needed to understand local environmental issues and promote environmental leadership at all levels impacting the City of Ottawa.
What We Do
We work to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada.
How We Do It
We organize in communities. We work to create a mobilized constituency of Ottawans who demand action and leadership on the environment. We engage thousands of Ottawa residents each year at the door, at events and through their community associations. We do this so that we know – and they know – what local environmental issues are top of mind, and what can be done about them.
We watch what city hall is doing. Cities are where most Canadians work, live and play. City governments have immense power over our collective response to challenges as wide-ranging as climate action, biodiversity protection and urban sprawl. For these reasons, we watch over and engage closely with Ottawa City Council. We celebrate environmentally responsible actions, we bring to light the things that hurt our local environment, and we advocate for greater ambition across a range of local issue areas.
We work with partners. The environmental crisis can only be solved by an engaged community working together across various sectors and levels of government. We work to engage and mobilize support from Ottawa residents, political representatives, local businesses, community associations, industry and professional associations, cultural groups and citizens groups.