- ~ Why was it established and how you can help ~
Learn More At: http://www.y2y.net/home.aspx
Hey there Wolfquest community. ^^ I would like to introduce you the the Y2Y Conservation Initiative. This thread was mainly created to get the word out and be able to discuss the importants of keeping our parks and wildlife preserved around the globe. Not only is it a rather capturing activity, as a community, we are actually able to get involved and help. Before I go on, here is a bit of in-sight on what this topic will cover:
About Us
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a joint Canada-US not-for-profit organization that seeks to preserve and maintain the wildlife, native plants, wilderness and natural processes of the mountainous region from Yellowstone National Park to the Yukon Territory.
Y2Y takes a scientific approach to conservation and is recognized as one of the planet's leading mountain conservation initiatives. Y2Y was officially established in 1997 and has two offices located in Canmore, Alberta and Bozeman, Montana.
Our Vision
Combining science and stewardship, we seek to ensure that the world-renowned wilderness, wildlife, native plants, and natural processes of the Yellowstone to Yukon region continue to function as an interconnected web of life, capable of supporting all of its natural and human communities, for now and for future generations.
Mission Statement
People working together to maintain and restore the unique natural heritage of the Yellowstone to Yukon region.
Our Role
At its heart, the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative is about people working together. The Y2Y organization serves an important role to catalyze and facilitate local conservation action by a myriad of partners.
As a catalyst, we commission scientific research and synthesize the work of others to better envision the region's overall condition and conservation needs. Using the large-scale needs of grizzly bears, birds and fish, Y2Y establishes conservation priorities for the entire region and identifies critical areas with the greatest conservation need. By facilitating the exchange of ideas and research, as well as attracting international attention and funding to the region, Y2Y has been able to grow the capacity of other groups to achieve more than they could otherwise. We foster collaborations that coordinate the work of partners around agreed-upon conservation strategies that bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to regional efforts.
Y2Y was officially established in 1997 by conservationists and scientists who believed that lasting conservation requires an overall understanding of the landscape, and the setting of regional conservation priorities. Adopting a new paradigm that fits with this thinking, they developed an organization that integrated scientifically sound research, stewardship, and strategic partnerships.
Following this paradigm, our goal is to maintain and sustain this region in a way that allows wilderness, wildlife, native plants, and natural processes to function as an interconnected web of life. This is as much for the benefit of future generations as it is for the land, the wildlife, and the people currently living in the region. This grand vision and huge undertaking will only be possible through hard work and long-term collaboration of all sorts of groups and individuals.
Not only is what the organization aims for so thrilling, the reason it crossed my mind to share here on wolfquest is actually because a wolf had a huge impact on the programs development. Here is a bit of the story:
Pluie the Gray Wolf
Ever wonder where the idea for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative originated? A well-travelled wolf gave scientists the idea. Pluie, a five-year-old female gray wolf, was fitted with a radio-collar and satellite transmitter in Alberta's Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in June of1991. For two years, Pluie's signal was tracked as she travelled 100,000 square kilometers (40,000 square miles) – an area 15 times larger than Banff National Park and 10 times larger than Yellowstone National Park. She moved through Banff National Park, into British Columbia, across the US border and through Glacier National Park to Montana, through Idaho and then into Washington state before heading north again to British Columbia. In 1993, near Fernie, BC Pluie's collar issued its last signal. It was learned later that the collar's battery was destroyed by a bullet. Two years later, Pluie was found still wearing hercollar near Invermere, BC after a hunter legally shot her and her mate, along with their three pups.
Pluie's story reminds us that parks and protected areas, no matter how large, cannot be relied upon to ensure future healthy populations of large mammals. These species use landscapes on a scale that is larger than any single park, or than even a network of parks. Integrated approaches to management that recognize the large-scale movement of many animals, and the need for coordinated responses from many levels of government and private land managers, are necessary.
Many types of animals, including wolves, need large spaces to wander safely and free of ; obviously illegal hunting and other threats. The story above shown as us that. This Y2Y organization understands that and they hope to keep wildlife and our native species protected and recorded in areas like this.
If you are interested in supporting this program, the website actually offers a donations set-up which I encourage some of you to have a look at. ^^
I understand many of you may have questions about what this program aims for and feel free to ask on this thread and I will do my best to find answers. I advise though, that you first have a look at the website to see if your question was answered there.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I really hope that you are now aware of the importance of such events.
On an interesting note; here is a fun little fact/question I found on the website.
How big is the Yellowstone to Yukon region?
Area: 1.3 million square kilometers / 502,000 square miles Length: 3,200 kilometers / 1,988 miles Width: Varies between 500 to 800 kilometers / 310 to 496 miles The region spans five American states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming), two Canadian provinces (British Columbia and Alberta) and two Canadian territories (Yukon and Northwest Territories)
