Canadian Geographic is rolling out a major new educational initiative designed to raise awareness about the importance of ecological corridors — the critical pathways that allow wildlife to move safely across landscapes. Launched this week at a conference in Banff, Alberta, the campaign, titled Right of Passage, will provide interactive learning tools to more than 28,000 teachers across Canada.
The project emphasizes how these natural corridors support biodiversity by allowing animals to migrate, find food and water, reproduce, and adapt to climate change. By connecting parks, forests, farms, and even recreational areas, ecological corridors also reduce harmful human-wildlife interactions, such as road collisions, and help preserve air and water quality.
Unlike national parks, these corridors are not designated or regulated spaces. Instead, they can weave through a variety of landscapes, including agricultural and community lands, making conservation a more collaborative, grassroots effort. Canadian Geographic aims to highlight this flexibility and encourage stewardship through educational outreach.
Meredith Brown, the magazine’s director of land and water relations, explained that the fragmentation of habitats by human development has made it increasingly difficult for animals to move freely. The Right of Passage campaign, she said, is meant to inspire action by combining scientific knowledge, storytelling, and community engagement.
Editor-in-chief Alexandra Pope added that the campaign will spotlight Indigenous knowledge, local champions, and innovative conservation projects already underway across the country. Through this work, the magazine hopes to help Canadians build a more connected, resilient future for both wildlife and people.
