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Growing a Greener, Healthier, More Resilient Ottawa
Our new Trees for Today program is designed to complement our established tree giveaway program, building on our commitment to increasing tree canopy across Ottawa in low-canopy and equity-deserving neighbourhoods. Through this program, Ecology Ottawa will be providing 1- and 2-gallon native saplings (approximately ~2-4 ft in height) free of charge to participants, hand-on support, and long-term follow up to help residents care for trees so they thrive for decades to come.
Why Trees for Today?
As Ottawa experiences hotter summers and more extreme weather, expanding urban tree cover is becoming increasingly important for public health, ecosystem conservation, and climate resilience. Ottawa is falling short of its own urban canopy goals. The City aims for 40% canopy cover, yet the most recent mapping shows that the urban canopy has actually declined from 21.5% to just 20.6% between 2017 and 2022. This drop comes despite citywide gains driven mostly by rural growth, masking the fact that many urban neighbourhoods are losing trees faster than they can be replaced.
Major losses have come from development‑related clear‑cutting, including high‑profile cases like the Tewin lands, where large areas were cleared under a farming exemption despite the supposed preservation of our Tree Protection By-law, meeting a huge public outcry. Ottawa’s canopy has also been hit hard by pests such as the emerald ash borer (which has killed tens of thousands of ash trees citywide) and extreme weather events, including the 2022 derecho and the 2018 tornado, both of which caused significant canopy damage. With mature trees disappearing quickly and new plantings taking decades to contribute meaningfully to canopy cover, the need for community‑driven planting and long‑term care has never been more urgent.
In response to these alarming developments, Trees for Today seeks to engage residents in strengthening Ottawa’s urban forest canopy in low-canopy and otherwise equity deserving neighbourhoods. By increasing our urban canopy, this program will help support:
- Cooling of neighbourhoods during extreme heat
- Supporting urban biodiversity and wildlife
- Improving air quality
- Strengthening climate resilience
- Creating healthier, more beautiful, and livable communities
Community Stories and Momentum
Trees for Today is about more than planting trees - its also about building a culture of stewardship. With participants who are willing, we collect and share their stories to inspire others and strengthen community action and interest in canopy growth.
How the program works
With the generous funding of Canadian Trees for Life, Ecology Ottawa is partnering with 6 community associations in low-canopy and equity-deserving areas to reach residents in their community and offer a free sapling. 
1. Register Online (Link below)
- Choose your preferred species and sign a simple care-agreement
2. Pick Up Your Tree
- Residents in participating neighbourhoods will be invited to local pickup events
3. Plant and care for your tree
- Use our guides, workshops and optional support
4. Stay connected
- We follow up to learn how your tree is doing
What Residents Receive
1. A free native tree
- 1-2 gallon sapling, approximately 2-4 feet tall, ready for planting on private property
2. Guidance in choosing the right tree species
3. Learning resources and a planting demonstration to cover:
- Species selection, planting best practices, and follow-up information on tree care at key moments
4. Optional planting and care support
- Tree recipients can sign up for hands-on help to ensure your tree thrives for years to come
5. Follow-up check-ins for long-term success
- We’d love to stay connected and support the long-term success of your sapling. We plan to check-in at: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years
Sign-up for a Free Tree!
Upcoming Giveaways
Stay tuned for the fall season giveaways! We will be hosting another 5 giveaways in low-canopy areas across the city.
If you are a community association looking to partner with us for this program, or a resident with questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected]