Resilient Natural environment and parklands
The City’s natural areas and parklands are important places to relax, explore, play sports, and have fun. Access to nature is essential for physical and mental health, and cultural connection. Greenspaces also provide lots of co-benefits to people and wildlife. Benefits include clean air, reduced flooding and improved water quality, shade, and habitat for animals and pollinators. These benefits are as essential to the livability and function of our city as roads and sewers.
Changes to our climate are already affecting our nature and parks. The increased spread of diseases, pests and invasive species is having significant and costly impacts. The Emerald Ash Borer, for example, damaged about 20% of Ottawa’s trees in the last 15 years. Extreme weather is also a major threat to Ottawa’s natural areas. Recent wind and ice storms damaged thousands of trees.
We all need to take steps to support the adaptation of parks, trees and nature to a changing climate and to protect and expand these areas to ensure they continue to provide benefits to our communities and wildlife.
Key actions proposed to support resiliency in nature and parks
- Protect and enhance trees and forests – accelerate tree planting, and protect the health of forests and trees through watering, managing pests and proactive trimming. Support recovery and clean-up after extreme weather and develop a wildland fire mitigation plan.
- Protect natural areas and ensure everyone has access – continue to build and connect Ottawa’s natural heritage system including protecting, restoring and caring for watercourses, wetlands and groundwater. Identify and manage erosion and unstable slopes.
- Increase shaded parklands by increasing the number of parklands as well as trees, shade structures or cooling features especially in neighbourhoods that are currently missing these features.
- Public education and stewardship to raise awareness about tree care and the value of wetlands and greenspace, and support community environmental stewardship programs.
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