A proposal to establish a 3,400-kilometre habitat corridor allowing wolves, elk, and other wildlife to freely move between Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. and 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 selected as one of the finalists in the Protect & Restore Nature category of the 2026 Earthshot Prizes, alongside two other finalists. The winners in each of the five categories will receive £1 million ($1.9 million Cdn) at an upcoming ceremony in Mumbai.
Y2Y, recognized by the Earthshot Prize, is described as one of the most extensive conservation collaborations in history, reconnecting a vast mountain landscape across Canada and the U.S. to facilitate wildlife migration. The corridor is home to various large mammals, including wolves, grizzly bears, wolverines, and endangered mountain caribou, covering an area slightly larger than the United Kingdom and encompassing 25 million hectares of protected land.
Initiated as a joint effort between the U.S. and Canada in 1993, Y2Y has made significant progress over the years, expanding protected areas from nine percent to nearly 18 percent within the corridor. The project, which involves collaboration with 800 partners, including governments, Indigenous nations, private landowners, and scientists, aims to address the challenges posed by habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly with the impacts of climate change forcing animals to migrate to more suitable habitats.
The Y2Y initiative has also focused on constructing over 200 wildlife road crossings and collaborating with Indigenous partners to revive the Klinse-Za caribou herd from the brink of extinction in British Columbia. The project has not only benefitted wildlife but has also provided advantages for people, such as increased parkland access, reduced wildlife collisions, carbon absorption, and water preservation.
Despite the significant costs associated with conservation efforts, the Earthshot Prize recognition can help raise awareness about the initiative, attract more supporters, and facilitate connections with global organizations addressing similar environmental challenges. The Earthshot Prize, established in 2021 and set to run until 2030, aims to encourage innovation in combating climate change and solving environmental issues across different sectors.
