Connecting wildlife habitats for a healthy planet

Parks Canada works with diverse partners to connect wildlife habitats in many ways. We maintain ecological corridors, wildlife crossings, and remove barriers to help animals—and people—thrive.

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Many animals need to reach habitat well beyond the boundaries of protected areas to survive. They travel long distances to find nourishment, shelter, mates, and to raise their young. In order for species to safely access what they need to survive, protected areas need to be connected. Watch this video to learn more:

Connecting habitats for a healthy planet

Text transcript

[Photos of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, and Rouge National Urban Park flash across the screen.]

Recognize any of these places?

[People hiking and camping together.]

We often think of them as wild spaces for people to explore and enjoy, but they're also safe spaces for nature to thrive.

[A herd of caribou graze and lounge in the sun on top of a lightly snow-covered space. A bison and prairie dog stand together in an open grassland.]

[People walk along a pathway through a forest. An Orca surfaces and blows air through its spout.]

Protecting natural lands and waters like these is a key way to slow biodiversity loss and ease the effects of climate change.

[A bird sings while perched on a cattail that is swaying in the wind. A Polar Bear and its cub stand near the water.]

[A Parks Canada employee uses a tool to collect soil samples from the ground. Another employee stands nearby and records the data.]

We know that and we're trying to do more of it.

[Aerial view of Parks Canada employees completing field work. The camera quickly ascends, revealing a large grassy landscape surrounding the employees.]

In fact, Canada has already conserved over two million square kilometres of its land and marine areas and we're trying to increase that number as quickly as we can.

[A graph appears, revealing that the total amount of protected land and marine areas has greatly increased since 1990.]

[The graph reveals the planned increases to protected land and marine areas until 2030.]

This is good news.

[People walk their dog through a park. Two kayakers paddle along a rocky coast.]

But protecting more lands and more waters is just one piece of the puzzle.

[A turtle slowly crawls across greenery toward a water source. A moose moves through a forest during the winter.]

For protected places to be fully effective at conserving nature, we need to make sure species can safely access what they need to survive.

[An illustrated landscape appears. Plants and animals appear across the landscape. Protected areas appear on the landscape. Some species are located within the protected areas and some are located outside of the protected areas.]

And sometimes those things are beyond the boundaries of a protected area.

[A young bear runs across a road. The Parks Canada logo appears in the middle of the screen and fades away.]

So what can we do?

[Parks Canada employee, Liz Nelson, speaks into the camera.]

I think when I first started working at Parks, I really imagined borders to be this very obvious thing, like a fence…but species don't see that division.

[Name Tag] Dr. Elizabeth Nelson, Ecosystem Scientist, Parks Canada

This is Dr. Liz Nelson.

She's an expert in conservation planning at Parks Canada.

[An illustrated graphic appears with plant and animal species spread across the screen. Yellow arrows appear, indicating movement. Labels appear, indicating that animals travel to “mate”, “give birth”, “find food”, “disperse seeds”.]

Species on land, in the water and in the air travel to mate, give birth, find food, and disperse their seeds.

[Liz reappears on the screen and speaks into the camera.]

And species will move in and out of the park many times through their lifetime, often many times during the day.

[An illustration of two caribou appear. A label appears, indicating the caribou are standing in Gros Morne National Park.]

Take this example.

[Two caribou walk through a grassy landscape.]

Scientists at Natural Resources Canada tracked a herd of caribou around Gros Morne National Park for more than a year.

[An illustrated map appears. A dot begins moving across the screen, navigating between Gros Morne National Park and nearby Main River Waterway Provincial Park.]

You can see that the caribou spend plenty of time moving between Gros Morne and a nearby provincial park.

Allowing this sort of free flowing movement is exactly what we're trying to do.

[Liz speaks into the camera.]

Even when we plan protected areas to provide this safe haven for species and ecosystems we care about, we have to recognize that those species and ecosystems are always moving in and out of those spaces.

[A herd of caribou walk through a snowy landscape.]

[A Grizzly Bear and its cub walk across a road. Camera moves back to reveal a snowy mountain valley. An insect crawls along a plant. A fox crosses a road and pauses, looking into the camera.]

And we want to create space across larger landscapes to really give them the best chance of survival.

[A river flows through a forested fall landscape. Sheep run along a mountainside. A river flows through a green forest. An Eriophorum plant blows in the wind.]

The idea that connectivity is important isn't new, by the way.

Movement and connection have always been an integral part of Indigenous knowledge systems.

[A sheep stands on a rocky mountainside. A river flows through a human-made drainage system. A salmon swims near a river bottom. Two goats walk along a roadside. Two caribou rest in a snow-covered landscape.]

Aside from allowing access to basic necessities, unimpeded movement, inside and outside of protected areas, is critical for genetic exchange between populations.

[A bird walks along a beach. Two wolves run in a field. A beaver swims in a river. A sheep jumps over a roadside barrier.]

It also gives species space to move and adapt to changing climate conditions, which is only going to become more necessary.

When we block connections, we create problems for species and ecosystems.

[An illustrated landscape appears. Common barriers begin appearing on the map, including boats, a road, agricultural lands, and a large fence.]

Ocean traffic, dams, roadways, agricultural lands and fence ways are all examples of barriers that inhibit species movement and the flow of natural processes.

[A herd of caribou appear to stop at a barrier. A Bobcat hides in the shadows on the edge of a forest.]

[The illustrated landscape reappears. A large majority of the landscape fades away, leaving small fragments of protected areas. Lines begin to move within the protected areas, indicating that it’s difficult for species to move between protected areas.]

When we build these things, we're left with these small fragments of natural landscapes, isolating species who rely on movement to survive.

So really, what can we do?

[Pathways appear between the protected places, representing free movement.]

Our goal is to keep ecosystems connected, both within and outside of protected areas.

[Arctic birds fly over the ocean with an iceberg in the background. Cars drive fast on a highway. A highway underpass appears, illustrating one example of ways people can restore connections. Caribou run across a snowy landscape.]

We can't turn back time, but we can restore connections between habitats that have been lost and maintain the ones that remain.

[Examples of human-made structures that enhance connectivity for species appear on screen, including a highway underpass, a pathway underpass, and a curb ramp with a salamander climbing up.]

And those connections can come in all shapes and sizes.

[A photo of a highway overpass appears on screen. A wolf uses a highway underpass. A turtle uses a highway underpass.]

At Parks Canada, we're building highway overpasses and underpasses that help species across safely.

[An owl sits on the ground amongst greenery. An aerial view of Parks Canada employees standing next to a creek channel.]

We're restoring connections between protected areas and other habitat, by supporting ecological corridors.

[A backhoe clears debris from a creekbed. A flock of Greater Sage-grouse stands in a field. A barbed wire fence appears, representing a barrier.

We're removing human infrastructure that limits movements and natural flows,

[A member of the Haida Nation speaks to visitors in Gwaii Haanas. A group of snowmobilers cross a break in the ice of the northern coast of Baffin Island.]

We're learning from Indigenous knowledge holders how cultural

and ecological connections to the landscape are weaved together.

[Parks Canada employees remove debris from a creekbed. A small fish swims along the bottom of a creek.]

We're restoring creek channels and natural water flows for species at risk.

[Parks Canada employees and partners talk amongst one another.]

We're also working with universities, conservation groups, and other

governments to track species movements so we can prioritize new areas

[A Parks Canada employee inserts a memory card into their laptop to check a wildlife camera.]

to protect and confirm if existing connections are being used.

[Cattle graze in a large agricultural field. The illustrated landscape reappears with the connected protected places. Labels indicate examples of different individuals and organizations who manage protected areas, including “Marine Refuges”, “National”, “Provincial & Terrestrial Parks”, “National Wildlife Areas”, “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures”, “National Marine Conservation Areas”, “Marine Protected Areas”, “Indigenous Protected & Conserved Areas”.]

The land that connects natural spaces is managed by all sorts of different individuals and organizations, meaning

no one group can tackle the challenge of connectivity alone.

[The labeled groups move into a circle. A web forms between them, indicating that the groups must work together.]

We need to think beyond boundaries and beyond borders: municipal,

provincial, federal, even continental.

[An aerial view of a river. Parks Canada employees and partners work together to move an inflatable watercraft through a mountain river.]

To protect nature, it needs to be connected, and we need to work together.

[A Parks Canada employee walks across a vast grassland.]

Find out more about how Parks Canada is connecting landscapes for conservation at the link on your screen.

A challenging game of hopscotch

National parks and national marine conservation areas in Canada are home to iconic wildlife, including many species at risk. Yet protected areas, like national parks, are often not connected to other natural areas. Human activities, like urban development, roads, and logging, can all occur around national parks.

This leads to wildlife populations being isolated—cut off from the surrounding landscape.

More and more, animal and plant species are becoming stranded on “islands” of habitat. Traveling between patches of habitat—whether on the land, in water, or in the air—becomes a challenging game of hopscotch for wildlife.

Ecological connectivity

Parks Canada works with partners across North America to make it easier for wildlife to move freely between habitats. These actions support ecological connectivity. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines ecological connectivity as “the unimpeded movements of wildlife and flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth”. Maintaining connectivity—both inside and outside of protected areas—is a global strategy for halting the loss of biodiversity.

When wildlife flourish, so do we.

Wildlife are always on the move to access what they need. Parks Canada looks at ways to connect protected areas to each other, and to other core habitats, to safeguard wildlife. We maintain and protect existing natural areas, and improve connectivity within protected areas. We are working with partners to create a network of protected and conserved areas across the country.

Understanding wildlife movement

A first step in better protecting habitats and supporting ecological connectivity is knowing where wildlife travel. For example, Parks Canada wanted to understand the movement patterns and habitat needs of the Woodland Caribou at Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland. Conservation staff worked with partners to collect and analyze data from caribou tracking collars. From this movement data, it was shown that Main River Waterway area was a main habitat for the caribou. This helped the province create the Main River Waterway Provincial Park—an area located outside of Gros Morne. Recovering caribou in Canada remains a priority for Parks Canada, both inside and outside of park borders.

We do it better together

Parks Canada is collaborating with many partners to support ecological connectivity. We have a long history of partnering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. We work together to help keep protected and conserved areas connected in priority sites across the country. We make a big difference for ecological connectivity when we pool our knowledge and resources.

One way we promote ecological connectivity together is through the conservation of lands in ecological corridors surrounding national parks.

An ecological corridor is a tool used in conservation to connect different protected and conserved areas, often managed by other governments, non-governmental organizations, and private landowners. By studying and protecting ecological corridors:

• the Eastern Wolf and the endangered Wood Turtle have increasingly safer routes to access vital habitat outside of La Mauricie National Park in Quebec
• moose, deer, bears, American Marten, Canada Lynx, and Fishers can now safely reach key habitats beyond Forillon National Park using the Forillon Peninsula Ecological Corridor

We also support landowners in protecting the Waterton Park Front in Alberta. The area provides critical habitat for abundant wildlife beyond Waterton Lakes National Park. Our shared vision and the long-term commitment of local ranchers have helped protect over 100 km² of this natural gem.

Think big about nature

Restoring cultural connections

It’s not only the natural environment that gets affected when ecological connectivity is lost. For thousands of years, the Mi’kmaw people have been using the Mersey and Bear River watersheds in the Kespukwitk region of Mi’kma’ki (in Nova Scotia) for travel, hunting, and to live. These two watersheds formed an important travel route between the Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Fundy. It is also a biodiversity hotspot, with many species at risk and species that hold cultural importance.

Over time, lumbering dams and power dams were constructed on the lower Mersey River, resulting in the interruption of fish passage and flooding of large areas. This significantly changed the area’s natural ecological and cultural connectivity. Local Mi’kmaw people lost important fishing and hunting grounds. Many important cultural sites (e.g., gathering areas, burial grounds, portage routes, and eel weirs), were also lost with flooding.

Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is in the heart of the Kespukwitk Conservation Corridor and the Kespukwitk Priority Place—an Environment and Climate Change Canada priority place that aims to conserve Species at Risk in Southwest Nova Scotia.

Parks Canada worked with local Indigenous communities (Acadia First Nation and Bear River First Nation) and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq using a two-eyed seeing approach—braiding Indigenous knowledge with western science—to create a Story Map that highlights key areas for protection in the Kespukwitk Conservation Corridor.

The aim is to identify key areas in the Kespukwitk Conservation Corridor that can be protected to improve ecological connectivity across lands and waters, and restore cultural connections for the Mi’kmaw people.

Making roads safer for wildlife

Roads and railways move vital supplies, and connect us with family, friends and treasured places. Yet roads are the biggest source of human-caused wildlife death in Canada’s national parks. They also obstruct ecological connectivity.

That’s why for 40 years, Parks Canada has been working to reconnect habitats and help save the lives of wildlife. With help from partners, our built asset teams design and construct wildlife overpasses, underpasses and eco-passages that help keep wildlife—and people—safe.

We also support partners in building wildlife crossings to restore connectivity. In September 2023, Parks Canada and the Y2Y Conservation Initiative co-hosted a group of delegates from the United States and Canada. They came to Banff National Park to share knowledge and to learn from decades of experience that we’ve gained in making roads safer for wildlife.

Habitat stepping stones

Wildlife on land aren’t the only ones that rely on habitat connectivity. Every spring and summer, a relay of Monarch Butterflies migrate from Mexico to Canada. The meadow around the ruins of Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site in Ontario provides a place for the endangered Monarchs to rest and feed on native wildflowers, like Common Milkweed. In the fall, these butterflies give birth to a special cohort of Monarchs. This longer-living generation of Monarch Butterflies then migrates over 3,000 km to Mexico to start the process again. Conservation staff are working to protect the meadow at Fort St. Joseph—an important habitat stepping stone along this epic journey.

Go with the flow

Like on land, maintaining connections in aquatic ecosystems is also important. In 1941, the Minnewanka Dam was built on the Cascade River in Alberta. When the river’s once mighty flow dwindled into a trickling creek, endangered Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout also disappeared.

Staff at Banff National Park and partners began restoring Cascade Creek in 2010. By repairing 9 km of stream habitat, they restored natural flow and downstream connectivity. Cascade Creek is set to become a refuge for native Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout.

Clear the way

Getting rid of clutter can be a therapeutic cleanse. It can also help wildlife recover, if that stuff is obstructing healthy habitat. That is the case for the Greater Sage-Grouse at Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan. This endangered bird is threatened by structures like overhead power lines and fences. They offer convenient perch sites for owls and hawks who prey on the grouse. Fences can also be a direct source of mortality for the grouse, who sometimes fly into them.

To help, Parks Canada partnered with SaskPower to remove above-ground service poles and bury almost 13 km of power lines. Conservation staff removed over 75 km of fences and marked over 174 km of fencing to make it more visible to the birds. Thanks to this work, threats from predators and collisions have been reduced.

Conservation staff also tidied the tundra at Qausuittuq National Park in Nunavut. Caribou are a vital source of food, clothing, and tools for local Inuit. Yet oil and gas exploration in the 1970s and 1980s left Bathurst Island with a legacy of industrial waste. When the park was formed, Parks Canada and local Inuit noted something important—the waste was obstructing the natural habitat of the endangered Peary Caribou. After many years of cleanup, the land was healed and became more usable for the caribou and local Inuit. This work contributed to the survival of caribou relied upon by local Inuit.

Stay connected

Ecological connectivity is key for a healthy planet! Wildlife thrive when they can safely access habitats and neighbouring populations. Natural processes, like the movement of water, need clear paths to flow. The well-being of Canadians depends on a healthy and diverse environment. It’s no wonder that ecological connectivity is a global priority for the health of our planet!

So how can you help keep wildlife connected?

• Plant native pollinator gardens, like common milkweed, to provide habitat stepping stones for Monarch butterflies
• If safe to do so, keep parts of your property natural and accept that some wildlife need to move through your property
• Create natural buffers along streams, lakes and fields for wildlife to use
• Support the conservation of lands and waters that give wildlife more room to move
• Watch for wildlife crossing roads in natural areas and, where safe to do so, help species in need cross the roads (turtles should always be moved to the side of the road they were moving towards)

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