The aim of this paper is to show how the use of metaphors regarding ecological theory (e.g. ecosystem clogs, ecosystem leaks, clog removal and leak plugging) can help practitioners express in simple language but with powerful imagery two crucial concepts, i.e. that of inflows and outflows among ecosystems and that of perturbations both within and beyond the ecosystem level. An ecosystem leak is defined as a loss of natural capital, while an ecosystem clog refers to an obstruction in the flows of natural capital. Leaks and clogs are interrelated in the sense that they can be both the cause and effect of each other. The focus is on anthropogenic leaks and clogs which are the ones that do not receive enough attention in society.