A proposal to establish a vast 3,400-kilometre wildlife corridor connecting Yellowstone National Park in the United States to Canada’s Yukon has been selected as a finalist for Prince William’s annual environmental awards. The initiative, known as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y), is competing in the Protect & Restore Nature category of the 2026 Earthshot Prizes, with a chance to win £1 million ($1.9 million Cdn) in prize money.
Y2Y is recognized for its ambitious goal of creating one of the largest conservation collaborations ever seen, aiming to reconnect a vast mountain landscape across Canada and the U.S. to allow wildlife to move freely across the region. The corridor, already spanning 25 million hectares of protected land, is home to various large mammals including wolves, grizzly bears, wolverines, and endangered mountain caribou.
Launched in 1993 as a joint effort between a U.S. non-profit organization and a Canadian charity, Y2Y draws inspiration from the journey of a wolf named Pluie, tracked via satellite collar near Banff National Park in 1991. The project seeks to address the need for large-scale conservation efforts to support wildlife like Pluie, emphasizing the importance of creating habitats at the scale required by nature.
With the increasing impact of climate change and warming temperatures, Y2Y aims to provide a migration route for animals and plants moving northward and to higher elevations. Over the past three decades, the initiative has expanded protected areas within the corridor from nine to nearly 18 percent, partnering with 800 organizations, including governments, Indigenous nations, private landowners, and scientists. Additionally, Y2Y has facilitated the construction of over 200 wildlife road crossings and collaborated with Indigenous communities in British Columbia to revive the Klinse-Za caribou herd from the brink of extinction.
The recognition as an Earth Prize finalist highlights the positive outcomes of the initiative, including benefits for people such as increased parkland access and reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions. Y2Y’s efforts also contribute to carbon absorption and water preservation and restoration in the region. While the initiative faces funding challenges, winning the Earthshot Prize could help raise awareness, attract more support, and facilitate collaborations with global partners addressing similar environmental issues.
The Earthshot Prize, established in 2021 and awarded in five categories annually, aims to promote innovation in addressing climate change and environmental challenges. The initiative is set to continue until 2030, recognizing and supporting projects that drive positive change for the planet.