A groundbreaking initiative aiming to establish a 3,400-kilometre wildlife corridor from Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. to Canada’s Yukon has been named as the first Canadian finalist for the prestigious Earthshot Prizes, initiated by Prince William. The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is among the top three finalists in the Protect & Restore Nature category for the 2026 Earthshot Prizes. The winners in each of the five categories will receive £1 million ($1.9 million Cdn) in a ceremony to be held in Mumbai in November.
Y2Y, recognized as one of the most expansive conservation collaborations in history, seeks to reconnect a vast mountain landscape across Canada and the U.S. to allow wildlife to move freely as they did for centuries. This corridor serves as a habitat for various large mammals, including wolves, grizzly bears, wolverines, and endangered mountain caribou, covering approximately 25 million hectares of protected land, slightly larger than the United Kingdom.
The initiative, launched in 1993 as a joint effort between a U.S. non-profit organization and a Canadian charity, was inspired by a wolf named Pluie, fitted with a satellite tracking collar near Banff National Park in 1991. Jodi Hilty, president and chief scientist of Y2Y, emphasized the importance of thinking at a scale that aligns with nature’s needs to sustain wildlife like Pluie, highlighting the necessity of creating large-scale conservation efforts.
Y2Y has made significant progress in increasing protected areas within the corridor, collaborating with 800 partners, including governments, Indigenous nations, private landowners, and scientists. The initiative has facilitated the construction of over 200 wildlife road crossings and played a pivotal role in the conservation efforts of the Klinse-Za caribou herd in British Columbia.
Moreover, the initiative aims to address the challenges posed by habitat loss and fragmentation due to climate change by providing migration routes for animals to move freely across landscapes. By expanding protected areas and promoting wildlife corridors, Y2Y not only benefits wildlife but also offers advantages to people, such as increased parkland, reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions, and preservation of clean water sources.
Despite the significant financial challenges faced by large-scale conservation projects like Y2Y, the Earthshot Prize nomination serves as a platform to raise awareness, garner support, and establish connections with other global initiatives addressing similar environmental issues. The initiative’s recognition by the Earthshot team underscores the universal challenges faced in conservation efforts worldwide, emphasizing the need for collective action to protect our planet’s biodiversity.