A groundbreaking project aiming to establish a vast 3,400-kilometre habitat corridor for wolves, elk, and other wildlife from Yellowstone National Park to Canada’s Yukon has been named as a finalist for Prince William’s annual environmental awards. The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) has been recognized as one of three finalists in the Protect & Restore Nature category of the 2026 Earthshot Prizes. The Earthshot Prize highlighted the Y2Y project as one of the most extensive conservation collaborations ever, reconnecting a vast mountain landscape across Canada and the U.S. to enable wildlife to move freely as they did in the past.
This corridor is home to various large mammals, including wolves, grizzly bears, wolverines, and endangered mountain caribou. It currently encompasses 25 million hectares of protected land, slightly larger than the United Kingdom. The Y2Y initiative, established in 1993 as a joint effort between the U.S. and Canada, has made significant progress over the years, increasing the protected areas within the corridor from nine percent to nearly 18 percent.
The project was inspired by a wolf named Pluie, who was tracked wearing a satellite collar near Banff National Park in 1991. This wolf traveled extensively across multiple states and provinces, highlighting the need to think on a larger scale to support wildlife conservation. The initiative aims to address the challenges faced by animals due to climate change and habitat fragmentation, facilitating their migration to suitable areas.
Y2Y has collaborated with numerous partners, including governments, Indigenous nations, private landowners, and scientists, working towards creating wildlife road crossings and supporting endangered species like the Klinse-Za caribou herd in British Columbia. The initiative has not only benefited wildlife but has also provided advantages to people, such as increased parkland and reduced wildlife-related vehicle collisions.
While the Earthshot Prize money may not cover all the costs involved in conservation efforts, winning the award could raise awareness about Y2Y and attract more support from individuals and organizations globally. The Earthshot Prize, established in 2021, aims to promote innovation in combating climate change and addressing environmental issues, with plans to continue until 2030.