The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative has reached the final of the 2026 Earthshot Prize for its work connecting wildlife habitat across the United States and Canada. The prize announced its 15 finalists on September 18.
Y2Y is competing in the Protect and Restore Nature category alongside Bhutan and Australia’s Indigenous Desert Alliance. Five winners, one in each prize category, will receive £1 million at the November 17 awards in Mumbai. Finalist status does not mean Y2Y has won that grant.
What the wildlife work involves
Y2Y works across a roughly 2,100 mile stretch of the Rocky Mountains, from the Greater Yellowstone area to Canada’s Yukon. Grizzly bears, wolves and caribou are among the animals whose movements extend beyond individual parks and national borders.
The initiative brings Indigenous Nations, governments, landowners and other partners together on land protection and wildlife crossings. Overpasses and underpasses address roads that interrupt animal movement; conservation agreements help keep habitat connected between protected areas.
Y2Y says it and more than 800 partners have helped protect around 25 million hectares and supported more than 200 wildlife crossings since its founding in 1993. These are the organization’s reported results across a large collaboration, not work performed by Y2Y alone.
What comes next
The organization’s published plans include helping deliver at least 50 additional wildlife crossings by 2030. That is a future target, separate from the crossings already built.
Earthshot says every finalist will receive mentorship, technical support and access to its network. The November decision will determine which five finalists also receive the cash awards.
Sources
How we reported this: Buddylio compared the award organizer’s announcement and project profile with Y2Y’s own account. Conservation totals are attributed to the initiative; future targets are separated from completed work.