What’s On in February

Written by Denise Deby.

You don’t even need to brave the elements to take part in some of these environment-related activities.

Ecology Ottawa is calling on people to get involved when the city’s Environment Committee meets on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016—in what Ecology Ottawa calls a key moment for climate action in the next 12-18 months. The Committee will be considering a Renewable Energy Strategy, the climate change management plan and a motion that includes strengthening Ottawa’s greenhouse gas reduction target and other measures. (See more here and here.) Attend the meeting (9:30 a.m. at City Hall) and/or contact your councillor and the mayor.

The Environment Committee is also reviewing a report that has implications for whether the city will support harvesting of fruit and nut trees for citizens and groups in need rather than treating it as waste. Find the report here.

The National Capital Commission is hosting The Urban Forest: From Science to Poetry through its Urbanism Lab series. The session will look at the importance of forests in the city for biodiversity and health. Speakers are Dr. Tom Smiley (Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory, North Carolina), Dr. Jérôme Dupras (Université du Québec en Outaouais) and Diana Beresford-Kroeger (author and scientist), moderated by Michael Rosen (Tree Canada). The event on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016 from 6-8 p.m. is full (there’s a waitlist), but it’s available live online. (Hope the discussion includes the at-risk South March Highlands.)

There’s another Urbanism Lab event on February 24 on cycling and Sunday Bikedays.

EnviroCentre and the Healthy Transportation Coalition host the Sustainable Transportation Summit: Building Equity into Ottawa’s Transportation System on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Sessions cover how to improve equity in transportation planning and delivery, and practical steps that we in Ottawa can take to make sustainable transportation available to everyone. The Summit is 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (with a lunch at 12:30) at City Hall. More information here.