Wildlife don’t stop at borders, but conservation efforts often do. The Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative is on a mission to change that.
For two years in the early ‘90s, a radio-collared wolf named Pluie, in southern Alberta, traversed an area 10 times the size of Yellowstone National Park and 15 times that of Banff National Park. I was stunned to learn this incredible story from my guide, Robin Forsyth, who works with Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative.
Having grown up a stone’s throw from Banff, I’ve had the great privilege of experiencing these towering peaks, turquoise glacial lakes and dense coniferous forests many times over. It’s here in Canada’s first national park where I meet up with Robin on a brisk October morning to get a sneak peek at a new Intrepid experience launching in 2025. On the Grand Canadian Rockies trip, travellers will head out on a walk through a meadow overlooking the town of Banff with a conservationist to learn about the landscapes, Y2Y and their work.
She explains how Pluie’s tracked movements revealed a pattern of long-distance roaming previously unknown to biologists. ‘Pluie was the first evidence of how far animals travel,’ Robin affirms.
She shows me Pluie’s actual tracking collar, and it’s unbelievable to think that this device helped prove what we know now about animal movements in the Y2Y region. Pluie’s travels were extraordinary, but also ordinary. Many animals such as lynx, cougars, golden eagles and bull trout have also been known to travel distances of more than 1600 kilometres.
Pluie crossed more than 30 different political jurisdictions, including two countries, three states, two provinces, private lands and First Nations’ territories. It’s not lost on me that Pluie’s collar still has the bullets lodged in it that killed her, underlining why minimising human-animal conflict is so critical.
Pluie made clear how effective conservation must go beyond borders and find ways to reduce human-created barriers to movement. ‘National parks are awesome, but animals don’t know where they start and where they end,’ says Robin.
Protecting ecosystems that defy borders
We’ve made our way to an open meadow on Mount Norquay overlooking the postcard-perfect town of Banff. I’m soaking up the crisp alpine air and the lofty mountain landscape. Though I’ve often frequented the Bow Valley, an area at the centre of the Canadian Rockies that encompasses several mountain communities including Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Kananaskis, I never tire of the views.
And while I thought I was pretty savvy in my understanding of the area’s environment, I realise as I talk with Robin that I haven’t really considered just how crucial this region is for wildlife movement.
‘Most habitats are fragmented because of conflicts with humans,’ she explains. ‘This place right here is the largest, most intact mountain region on the planet. The Bow Valley is at the heart of it and it’s really special.’
Although the Rocky Mountains aren’t the longest mountain range in the world, they’re the most ‘intact’ with some of the lowest levels of human-induced changes.
From our viewpoint on the meadow, Robin points out how amid all of the natural grandeur there are roads, train tracks, buildings and many other human obstacles for wildlife to navigate. The goal of Y2Y is to develop solutions and strategies for coexistence. ‘We need to figure out how to let wildlife pass through safely while still meeting people’s needs,’ she says.
Claire Jarrold/ Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
Providing safe passage for wildlife
Much of Y2Y’s efforts are aimed at establishing safe wildlife corridors spanning from the USA to Canada by identifying core habitats, working with partners and communities to protect them, and mitigating barriers so that both people and nature can thrive.
‘So much wonderful work is being done at the local level, but what was missing was looking at habitat conservation and connection on a macro level,’ Robin says.
To that end, Y2Y is heavily involved in creating wildlife crossings. Currently, there are 126 wildlife crossings, giving wildlife safe passage in the 3400-kilometre-long Yellowstone to Yukon region. Prior to Y2Y, there were none in the region.
These crossings are a lot like highway underpasses and overpasses for cars, but they’re filled with grass and trees, effectively extending a wide forested path across busy highways.
In Banff National Park alone, wildlife crossings have resulted in a 90 per cent drop in vehicle collisions with hooved animals such as elk and deer. Y2Y has been instrumental in advocating for the development of the Bow Valley Gap crossing, the first wildlife highway overpass outside of a national park in Alberta, which is nearing completion east of Canmore. These crossings save the lives of animals and humans as well as millions of dollars. According to the Government of Alberta, wildlife-vehicle collisions cost approximately $300,000 a day in costs related to property damage, healthcare and highway cleanup.
Millions of vehicles drive past the Bow Valley Gap overpass site, including mine that very day. Many years of data on wildlife movement and mortality from vehicle strikes show that deer and elk frequently try to cross the highway at this location, along with grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and cougars. This movement is important to keep gene pools diverse and connected, ensuring the health and vigour of these large mammal populations.
Keeping the conservation conversation going
There’s also cultural significance to the crossings. The Stoney Nakoda First Nation are the original “peoples of the mountains”, known in the Nakoda language as the Îyârhe Nakoda. The Stoney Nakoda peoples’ respect for one another extends to animals. ‘We work with Indigenous peoples to protect areas under Indigenous stewardship,’ Robin says. Maintaining strong populations of wildlife is an essential step in respecting First Nations’ treaty rights.
It’s fitting that we’re having this conservation conversation in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, but it won’t stay this way without help. ‘Think about the landscape beyond the Instagram shot,’ Robin advises.
It’s about drawing on the natural beauty and becoming inspired to do something, anything, to help preserve these natural habitats and connections. ‘This mountain region is unique,’ emphasises Robin. ‘You won’t find the wildlife and the plants anywhere else. It’s up to all of us to do something to protect it whether it’s taking initiative in your own community or supporting organisations like Y2Y.’
After all, if one wolf can help kickstart the Y2Y initiative, each of us can try to make a difference in protecting the environment.
Visit with Y2Y and learn about their wildlife conservation efforts on Grand Canadian Rockies. Discover more of what’s new for 2025 with The Goods.
Top photo courtesy Jacob W. Frank/National Park Service.
