A conservation project connecting wild habitats from Wyoming to Canada’s Yukon has been named a finalist for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.
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project → connect → Prize
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative has spent 33 years protecting 59 million acres of land and supporting 204 wildlife crossings across North America.
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Initiative → spend → America
The non-profit project is one of 15 global finalists for the 2026 environmental award, according to The Associated Press.
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project → accord → Press
The project brings together scientists, private landowners, local governments, and Indigenous communities across the Rocky Mountains.
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project → bring → Mountains
By building wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and safety fences along major highways, the initiative helps large animals move safely through their natural habitats without being hit by vehicles.
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animals → build → vehicles
Tracking wildlife across borders
The idea for the cross-border wildlife corridor began in the early 1990s after researchers tracked a radio-collared wolf named Pluie.
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researchers → track → wolf
Satellite data showed that the wolf travelled across three US states and two Canadian provinces.
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wolf → show → states
Her movements showed scientists that individual parks and nature reserves were not large enough to support animals such as wolves, grizzly bears, and caribou over the long term.
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parks → show → term
These findings led to the official creation of the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative in 1993.
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findings → lead → 1993
Its goal was to connect broken-up habitats across a 2,100-mile mountain range.
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goal → connect → range
Highway crossings reduce animal deaths
Busy highways are one of the biggest dangers for wildlife moving through the Rocky Mountains.
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highways → reduce → Mountains
To reduce deadly crashes, the organization has worked with transport authorities to build special wildlife crossings.
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organization → reduce → crossings
In places such as Banff National Park in Alberta, overpasses and underpasses covered with native plants have reduced collisions between vehicles and hoofed animals by 96 per cent.
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overpasses → cover → cent
The organization has also worked to reconnect isolated grizzly bear populations.
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organization → work → populations
According to project records, the distance between separated bear groups in the United States has been reduced from 240 kilometres to 75 kilometres.
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distance → accord → kilometres
Indigenous leadership strengthens conservation
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leadership → strengthen → conservation
Indigenous communities manage or share management of about one-quarter of the protected land within the corridor.
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communities → manage → corridor
These partnerships have helped several threatened species recover from very low numbers.
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species → help → numbers
In northern British Columbia, an Indigenous-led project to protect the Klinse-Za caribou herd helped its population increase from 38 animals in 2013 to 187.
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population → lead → 187
Dr Jodi Hilty, President and Chief Scientist of the initiative, said successful conservation requires long-term cooperation between communities.
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conservation → say → communities
"Being selected as an Earthshot Prize Finalist gives this extraordinary region a chance to be recognised around the world," Hilty said in a press release.
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Hilty → select → release
"Yellowstone to Yukon is not only a story about wilderness; it is a story about the people who live here and the choices they are making to protect a shared home."
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they → live → home
Founded by Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize gives five annual £1 million awards to projects working to repair environmental damage.
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Prize → found → damage
The Yellowstone to Yukon initiative is a finalist in the Protect and Restore Nature category.
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initiative → protect → category
Prince William praised the 2026 finalists before the official awards ceremony, which is scheduled to take place in Mumbai in November.
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which → praise → November
"Every year, our finalists give me renewed optimism," Prince William said in an official statement.
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William → give → statement
"They show us that, even as the environmental challenges remain urgent, extraordinary people around the world are already proving that progress is possible.
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progress → show → world
Seeing solutions work gives us all confidence to act."
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solutions → see → confidence
The initiative plans to protect another 50 million acres and help create at least 50 more wildlife crossings by 2030.
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initiative → plan → 2030
The Aporia
