A holiday wish from Ottawa’s ecosystem

Some tips from our ecosystem to keep it healthy, including not releasing pets into parks and waterways.

Feature story

Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Ottawa’s ecosystem. You might know me from places like this:

Gift-giving and family gatherings warm my heart (Ottawa is shaped like one, after all) but sometimes after the holidays or during warmer months I see plants, critters and fish released into my parks and waterways. While this may seem like a good deed, it can cause serious issues for me, as Ottawa’s ecosystem.

So, to help spread a little holiday cheer and to keep me healthy here are a few items on my wish list for this holiday season:

• Please do not release pets into parks and waterways Your goldfish, turtles, hamsters or even that cute rabbit belong in your home, not my waterways or green spaces. When most pets are released into the wild, they don’t survive. Or worse, if they thrive, they can harm local habitats and species. It is important to practice responsible gift-giving – if gifting pets, please check with the recipient so they understand the responsibilities of pet ownership. If you are not able to keep a pet, try finding them a new home or a spot with an animal rescue, see if they can be brought back to your retailer, or speak with a veterinarian.
• Avoid introducing invasive species While some plants and pets may look harmless in your home, they can pose a risk to me (and my habitats for native fish, plants and animals!) You can learn more about invasive species on the Ministry of Natural Resources invasive species webpage. Once introduced to Ottawa’s waterways and green spaces, invasive species are very hard to remove or manage. For example, City of Ottawa staff have been working hard throughout the year to manage our stormwater ponds and invasive goldfish make their work harder.
• Avoid feeding wildlife Feeding wildlife can have some unwanted consequences. It can cause animals to lose their fear of humans. This increases their chance of conflict with people, including rare cases of aggression. Feeding can attract undesired species, from pests like mice and rats to larger predators like coyotes, and even bears. On a similar note, I want to remind residents to keep a close eye on pets that go outdoors. Local predators are opportunistic and will take a chance on an easy meal.
• Share the spirit of stewardship Share your kindness by volunteering for a cleanup project in your community with Cleaning the Capital, or support a local wildlife program.
• Enjoy natural spaces responsibly Visit my natural spaces, often! The City of Ottawa operates and maintains roughly 4,300 hectares of parkland at over 1,300 sites so doing your part to keep these shared spaces clean and safe for everyone can be your holiday good deed.

Let’s make sure every good deed this holiday season keeps our ecosystem strong so future holidays are just as magical.