Summer forestry update
Growing our canopy
The first phase of the 2025 Plant Your Place! program is complete and was a huge success. It saw 1,200 homes across the City access trees for their property at no charge. Residents who missed the distributions this year should stay tuned, as the program will return in 2026. Meanwhile, the next Plant Your Place! event will plant 50 more trees at Ottawa Community Housing locations in the fall.
While tree planting distributions are over, we still encourage residents to help grow our canopy by planting trees on their own property. However, when selecting the right tree for the right place, it is important to be mindful of the location of property lines and to contact Ontario One Call so that utility providers can locate where infrastructure is buried on their property. This service, which is free, protects residents from being injured from infrastructure such as gas lines, and protects the utilities that they depend on.
The City also has many tree planting programs for streets, parks and greenspaces. If you would like a tree planted on City property, please visit Ottawa.ca to learn more. So far this year, we have planted more than 1,700 trees!
Tree Inventory
Our tree inventory is a continuous project across the City. We are collecting a wide range of data including tree location and species. An inventory of City-owned trees is an essential tool to manage these valuable assets. It helps us protect and enhance urban and rural forests, maintaining sustainable forests for generations to come.
Tree Check Month
Did you know August is Tree Check Month? Our partners at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) mark the month as an opportunity to encourage everyone to be on the lookout for unwelcome invasive pests. Whether on your own property or on public land, spotting and reporting invasives right away to the CFIA is the best way to protect our trees.
This year, the CFIA is hosting an information event and you are invited to attend to learn more about how to check trees. Come on down to Britannia Park on August 13 between 11am and 1pm! Forestry Services will join them under the trolley next to the Ron Kolbus Community Centre.
How residents can help
With camping season now here, we once again remind residents to please burn firewood in the same local area where it was purchased and not to transport it outside that area. Bringing firewood in from other municipalities can greatly contribute to the spread of many different diseases and pests that negatively impact trees and forests. Don’t forget to confirm campfires are allowed!