Envision mountain “water towers” sustaining hundreds of millions of people.
Imagine 6 million square kilometers of protected wilderness — an area equal to 60% of Europe.
Picture half of Earth’s African elephants thriving. Not to mention other large species such as gorillas, bison, leopards, and grizzly bears. Visualize marine reefs bursting with healthy, flourishing coral and landscapes connected for wildlife who need roam to roam.
There’s no need to imagine. This conservation is happening right now, and it’s working.
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is proud to have played a leadership role in a groundbreaking new publication detailing these successes from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Scaling Up: Conservation in a Connected World is an essential report that demonstrates how large-scale, connected conservation is doing more than transforming landscapes — it’s securing a thriving future for nature and people alike.
Authored by members of the IUCN WCPA Large-Scale Conservation Area Task Force, the paper was launched Oct. 11 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 at the Exhibition event Sharing Stories on the Power and Practice of Very Large Scale Conservation in the Americas Pavilion.
Conservation at an extraordinary scale
Y2Y helped shape this publication through our work on a global IUCN task force, first envisioned in 2023 and brought to life with crucial support from conservation leaders.
The report features detailed case studies from 12 major conservation initiatives spanning five continents. One study focuses on the Yellowstone to Yukon region, showcasing our decades of work connecting landscapes and communities across one of the world’s most spectacular wilderness corridors.
Collectively these case studies represent global conservation successes of remarkable scope:
- 6 million km² of protected landscapes — an area equal to 60% of Europe or one-third of South America
- 52% of the world’s biomes represented, advancing critical protections for global ecological diversity
- Half of Earth’s African elephants safeguarded
- Efforts to help gorillas, bison, leopards, grizzly bears, and numerous other species thrive
- The Coral Triangle, home to 76% of global coral species — the planet’s most biodiverse marine region
- Mountain “water towers” that sustain hundreds of millions of people and economies worldwide
Why connected conservation matters
While our planet faces serious challenges from accelerating biodiversity loss to climate change impacts that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, these case studies prove that when we think big and work together across borders, ecosystems, and communities, we can rise to meet them.
Connected conservation provides wildlife with the space to roam, adapt, and thrive. It sustains the natural systems that provide clean water, regulate climate, and support human wellbeing.
Y2Y’s work exemplifies this approach — protecting not just isolated parks, but an entire living corridor where nature and people can flourish together from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem all the way to Canada’s Yukon.
“For 30 years, Y2Y has advanced conservation at the scale nature demands. We’re proud to stand with IUCN partners in this global task force. This Issues Paper and panel spotlight a growing movement to protect large, connected landscapes and seascapes — and show what’s possible when communities, governments, and industries come together,” says Jordan Reeves, director of landscape connectivity.
“Now is the time to back large-scale conservation for the health of people, economies, and the planet.”
Read the report, be part of the movement
The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) is the world’s premier network of protected and conserved areas expertise.
The Large-Scale Conservation Area Task Force, established in mid-2024, is a global community of practice connecting IUCN World Commission on Protected Area members who are actively leading efforts to help achieve multiple targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The future of conservation is connected, collaborative, and ambitious. The results speak for themselves.
Download Scaling Up: Conservation in a Connected World to explore all 12 case studies, dive into the Yellowstone to Yukon story and discover how large-scale conservation is protecting our planet’s most critical ecosystems.
Together, we can scale up. Together, we can protect the connected world we all depend on.
