Picture lush forests, vibrant valleys, majestic mountains, gigantic glaciers, and life-sustaining water sources; herds of buffalo, caribou, and elk, wolfpacks, grizzly bears and their cubs roaming vast, intact landscapes.
This is a glimpse of what we’re working to protect here in the Yellowstone to Yukon region.
Animals need wide open spaces to roam, feed, and reproduce. This landscape still supports much of its native biodiversity — Y2Y’s goal is to keep it this way. And as the only organization dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region, we know that keeping these landscapes intact is the best way to tackle the loss of biodiversity and a changing climate.
Where appropriate, science and Indigenous knowledge help us inform how and where to advance protected areas, which not only protect nature but also sustain us by providing clean air, fresh water, physical and mental well-being, and cultural and spiritual values. Hundreds of thousands of passionate individuals like you are the source of hope and the reason we are getting this work done piece by piece.
Growing allyship for Indigenous partners Indigenous-led protected areas and land stewardship are vital for both upholding Indigenous rights and safeguarding nature at a large scale. In Canada, this includes expanding Indigenous-led protected areas, such as Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).
In the Yellowstone to Yukon region, one-quarter of protected areas are managed or co-managed by Indigenous Peoples, with more on the way. These agreements support the leadership of Indigenous communities; and they are also key to achieving our mission of connecting and protecting habitats where both people and nature can thrive.
As a trusted ally in Indigenous-led conservation, we support Indigenous governments and communities in building the political will, public awareness and support, and resources needed to protect some of the region’s most biodiverse landscapes.
With First Nations’ capacity often stretched and legal frameworks often lacking, our role as a partner is crucial in advancing these efforts.
In 2024, Y2Y was invited to partner on 11 initiatives supporting Indigenous-led land designations and stewardship, including a major National Park proposal in the Yukon, Indigenous Guardians programs in northern B.C., and a Kaska Elders gathering to advance the proposed Dene K’éh Kusān IPCA through knowledge sharing.
These partnerships have strengthened our collective nature conservation efforts and will also uphold the rights and sovereignty of First Nations, leading to a more inclusive and holistic approach towards the protection of biodiversity and cultural heritage.
BRINGING BUFFALO BACK
From left: Nicole Olivier, landscape protection manager, Dayna Big Plume, Eastern Slopes landscape protection and highway connectivity co-ordinator, and Nadine Raynolds, director of communities and conservation.
By invitation, Y2Y staff attended the 10th anniversary of the Buffalo Treaty and proudly supported the celebration financially. First signed in 2014 at the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, the Buffalo Treaty united eight First Nations and Tribes in a pledge to restore buffalo populations and revive the cultural bonds that have sustained them through centuries. Many communities across the Yellowstone to Yukon region and beyond are working to bring back buffalo — a species vital to the health of ecosystems. Y2Y is proud to support the work of those who continue to lead this movement. Photo: Supplied.
A bright future for caribou and communities
Nestled in the northern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Klinse-za/Twin Sisters Park is a sacred and ecologically vital landscape, home to the revered Twin Sisters mountains.
For generations, this area has been central to many Indigenous Peoples’ spiritual and cultural traditions. A decade ago, mountain caribou in this region were on the brink of extinction. Thanks to the leadership of the West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations through their collaborative conservation, restoration, and stewardship initiatives, the Klinse-za caribou population has rebounded from just 13 animals to a thriving herd of close to 200 in 2024.
This incredible feat offers renewed hope for both the caribou and local communities. Y2Y has proudly supported this transformative project for over ten years through scientific research, advocacy, fundraising, community engagement, and storytelling such as through supporting and sharing the film Caribou Homeland.
Celebrating the largest B.C. park in a decade
In June 2024, the expansion of Klinse-za/Twin Sisters Park was announced by the two First Nations and the governments of British Columbia and Canada. The park’s size was expanded 75-fold — from 2,689 to over 200,000 hectares — giving caribou a safe home and room to roam.
This designation is an example of how governments can work together and be a model for effective collaborative conservation. It is only together — Indigenous and non-Indigenous people working in partnership — that we can help endangered species recover, sustain thriving communities and healthy landscapes, and safeguard this landscape, cultures, and wildlife for future generations.
You helped us celebrate this monumental achievement. Through our letter-writing campaign, nearly 1,000 people wrote to voice their support for Indigenous-led caribou recovery.
Momentum in the wild heart of Yukon Territory
Imagine protecting an area as big as Switzerland — that’s what the Ross River Dena (people) are working to do. They have proposed creating an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area spanning more than 40,000 sq. km (15,000 sq. miles) of central-east Yukon Territory. That’s approximately eight percent of the Yukon Territory’s land area.
Northern Canada’s wild landscapes burst with life, a place where Boreal forests, rugged peaks, and winding rivers weave together a rich ecological tapestry. This remarkable region is a vital stronghold along the vast Yellowstone to Yukon corridor, sustaining wildlife on a huge scale. The Ross River region, known as Tū Łī dlini (“where the rivers meet” in the Kaska language), also holds deep cultural meaning for the Ross River Dena, who have long depended on and stewarded this landscape.
In December 2024, after more than five years of hard work by the Ross River Dena, they signed an agreement with Yukon Government and Parks Canada to conduct a study to explore making this vision a reality through a national park reserve.
Y2Y proudly supported these community efforts in the year leading up to this agreement through engagement and education around the proposed IPCA — which helped lead to this promising next step.
