Alliance to Save Our Greenbelt (ATSOG)
The Alliance to Save Our Greenbelt (ATSOG) was federally incorporated in 1993. Its functions include ensuring the preservation of NCC lands and particularly the Greenbelt, representing citizens’ groups, lobbying for the preservation of the Greenbelt, informing the public of issues concerning the Greenbelt. Since its founding, ATSOG has filed three objections and contested these in Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearings involving Greenbelt land use issues and has challenged the NCC and the city in federal court over similar Greenbelt land use issues.
Canadian Biodiversity Institute
The Canadian Biodiversity Institute (CBI) is a non-profit, charitable, non-governmental organization established in April, 1995. CBI’s mandate is to actively facilitate biodiversity preservation and conservation in Canada. Its objectives are to:
- educate Canadians for increased public awareness and action to conserve biodiversity, currently focusing on Pollinators;
- involve schools and communities in enhancing biodiversity locally through CBI’s School Grounds Transformation Programme;
- develop community-based programmes, such as the Great Canadian Bio-Blitz, for the preservation of ecosystems and species diversity. Currently, CBI is active in creating and facilitating a community process for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and food, water and energy security in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.http://www.biodiversityonline.ca
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is Canada’s grassroots voice for wilderness protection. It recommends the need for new protected wilderness areas, ensures that existing protected areas are safeguarded and supports ecologically sound land and natural resource management. The Ottawa Valley Chapter (CPAWS-OV) was formed in 1969 when there was a requirement to defend Gatineau Park against a large scale development proposal and has maintained a involvement in park issues to ensure its ecological integrity. CPAWS-OV initiated the Algonquin to Adirondacks Conservation Program which aims to maintain and restore ecological linkages between Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario and the Adirondack State Park in New York, a heavily populated and developed corridor. The Greenbelt and rural lands in the Ottawa area form a critical part of this vision as they provide vital linkages to large wilderness areas north of Ottawa and beyond.
City of Ottawa Biodiversity Task Force
The 15-member Ottawa Biodiversity Task Force was established in October 2006 upon City of Ottawa Standing Committee and Council approval to develop a Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Ottawa that is consistent with the United Nations, and Canada’s and Ontario’s biodiversity strategies. The purpose is to ensure that the objectives of biodiversity protection are embedded in all long-term land-use planning decisions and integrated into all facets of city planning and operations, and to investigate the causes and impacts of biodiversity loss in Ottawa and identify appropriate solutions for the conservation, protection, and restoration of ecosystem functions within the city, and to increase awareness of biodiversity through public education, partnerships, and promotion.
City of Ottawa Rural Issues Advisory Committee (RIAC)
The Rural Issues Advisory Committee provides advice and input to the City’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and Ottawa City Council on issues affecting the rural and farming community. The Committee assists City Council in its efforts to protect and preserve the rural area; promote healthy rural communities that contain living, working and recreational opportunities; and respect the natural environment and resources of rural areas. The committee provides a forum for rural residents to raise issues and concerns with a distinct rural component or impact on rural areas and raising awareness and promoting an understanding of the rural community and its issues. It advises City officials on all aspects of the rural community, including land use, municipal services/infrastructure, environmental issues and socio-economic matters affecting agriculture and the rural communities.
http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/mayor_council/advisory_committees/rural/index_en.html
Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais
Le Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais (CREDDO) est un organisme à but non lucratif dont la mission première est la protection de l’environnement et la promotion du développement durable dans un cadre de concertation. Il est membre du réseau des 16 conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec et participe à de nombreux comités et tables de concertation surtout régionale tant en forêt, en problématiques pointues telle la gestion des matières résiduelles puis le transport que l’aménagement du territoire en milieu urbain ou rural. Il est aussi source de références en tout ce qui touche l’environnement et le développement durable tant pour les médias, que les décideurs et citoyens.
Ecology Ottawa
Ecology Ottawa is a not-for-profit organization working to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada. We believe that Ottawa residents are concerned about issues such as pollution, waste, and global warming, and that they want sustainable communities where public transit, renewable energy, recycling, and the protection of greenspaces take priority. We are working with residents and local organizations across the city to ensure that their voices are heard at city hall.
www.ecologyottawa.ca
Federation of Citizens’ Associations of Ottawa-Carleton (FCA)
The Federation of Citizens’ Associations of Ottawa-Carleton (FCA) is the umbrella organization for community associations and other similar voluntary groups in Ottawa. Founded over twenty-five years ago, it is a non-profit corporation under the laws of Ontario. FCA encourages citizen participation in the conduct of community affairs in Ottawa and in the national capital region; to encourage collective action; and to facilitate flows of information about community developments and among member’s organizations. FCA is an issues-oriented organization, primarily focusing on municipal affairs, but also has an interest in provincial planning policies and the province’s control over municipalities. As an organization in Canada’s capital, FCA also has involvement in some of the activities of the National Capital Commission.
http://www.fca-fac.ca
Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital (GA)
The Greenspace Alliance works to preserve green places in the National Capital area. Concerned residents formed the Alliance in October 1997. Its primary aim is to conserve public and private greenspace. This includes natural and landscaped places deemed significant by a community. It also works to protect waterways and wetlands. The Alliance believes that urban greenness is essential for a community’s quality of life. Places of greenness contribute to our personal, social, economic, cultural and spiritual well-being. They also connect us with the natural and cultural history of our region.
Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre (OCWC)
The Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre was founded in 1987. Its goal is to establish a better understanding and respect for wildlife in the face of rapid development and habitat loss. This is achieved through a Wildlife Education School Program taken to more than 1,000 students each year, Community Outreach and Awareness Programs, a website which offers comprehensive solutions for specific human-wildlife conflicts, articles in community media and collaboration with other stakeholder organizations in the development of constructive strategies on behalf of progressive environmental goals.
Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club (OFNC)
The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club is the oldest natural history club in Canada, with a membership of over 800 individuals, the majority of whom reside in the National Capital Region. Our objectives include promoting the appreciation, preservation, and conservation of Canada’s natural heritage, and supporting and cooperating with organizations engaged in preserving, maintaining or restoring environments of high quality for living things.
Save Our Greenspace
Save Our Greenspace was initially created to work with the City of Ottawa to help identify Species at Risk omitted from the Environmental Assessment of the North-South LRT Project. Save Our Greenspace will continue to work with the NCC to ensure Species at Risk, their habitats, and nesting grounds are protected within the NCC Greenbelt and other greenspaces. The NCC Greenbelt is rich in biodiversity, which we believe should be protected and preserved as a legacy for our children, not for urban sprawl. The area of our work which provides us with the greatest satisfaction is our work with communities and researchers educating children on the species and plants in their neighbourhoods. http://www.saveourgreenspace.ca/
Sierra Club Canada
Sierra Club Canada’s mission is to develop a diverse, well-trained grassroots network to protect the integrity of our local and global ecosystems. Sierra Club Canada has been active in this country since 1963 and now has 10,000 members in five regional chapters and a youth arm, the Sierra Youth Coalition. Many of the members are active volunteers who work in Club campaign activities. Our local Ottawa Group collaborates with other environmental groups in the area and takes on projects such as the Sierra Education Team, Cool Cities, and municipal councillor ‘green’ report cards, to name a few.
http://ontario.sierraclub.ca/ottawa/
South March Highlands Coalition
The Coalition to Protect the South March Highlands is dedicated to the conservation the South March Highlands which has some of the highest ecological value and biodiversity of any area in the City of Ottawa. The South March Highlands has a unique geology, old-growth forest, and 20 species-at-risk within an area that is immediately adjacent to Kanata’s high tech centre. In addition to its ecological value, the SMH also has several 10,000 year old archaeological resources – unique in Eastern Ontario. You can learn more about the South March Highlands at www.ottawasgreatforest.com and about the Coalition at www.southmarchhighlands.ca.
Tropical Conservancy (TC)
Tropical Conservancy (TC) is an Ottawa-based organization whose mission is to advocate conservation of biodiversity worldwide. TC’s flagship publication is the international, peer-reviewed, quarterly journal Biodiversity. The National Capital Greenbelt Sand Dune Conservation project is a local TC initiative, with funding support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and undertaken in collaboration with the National Capital Commission. The project also works closely with high schools and local communities in Ottawa, to raise awareness, understanding and appreciation of the value of sand dune biodiversity. The TC, along with volunteers from schools and communities is restoring the Slack Sand Dune (at Slack Road & Vaan Drive, just east of Woodroffe Avenue) during 2011 and 2012. For additional information about TC and the restoration project please visit TC website: http://www.tc-biodiversity.org
