Imagine seeing your neighbourhood not as separate gardens, parks and streets, but as one living, breathing landscape. A Community Nature Reserve does exactly that. It brings together dense housing, semi-green spaces and wilder corners, and connects them into a network that supports wildlife and strengthens the community. It views the entire area as a bird would, rather than separate properties.

A Community Nature Reserve isn’t a traditional nature reserve, it’s a grassroots movement. Front gardens, balconies, verges, allotments, parks, even car parks are all viewed as part of something bigger. By joining up these often fragmented spaces, communities create wildlife corridors that allow birds, insects and mammals to move more freely through urban areas. This gives wildlife more opportunity to survive with greater access to food, water, shelter and breeding space.

Alex Dommett, our Urban Nature Recovery Manager, explains: “A community nature reserve is a place where everyone has the opportunity to celebrate and create space for nature, in a way which is meaningful for them.”

Why create a Community Nature Reserve?

Every Community Nature Reserve is different, shaped by the character and needs of its area. But there are some common motivations. For many, it’s about responding to local and global environmental concerns by doing something practical. Taking local action helps combat eco-anxiety and replaces helplessness with purpose. 

It’s also about normalising action for nature. When wildlife-friendly gardening becomes visible and is talked about, such as a pond here, pollinator plants there, a hedge left a little wilder, expectations shift. A “messy garden” becomes a sign of life, not neglect.

Community Nature Reserves build connection to nature and each other.

The benefits for wildlife and people

By encouraging wildlife-friendly gardens and public spaces, neighbourhoods can form wildlife corridors. These connected habitats:

• Link isolated green patches of land
• Allow species to find food, water, shelter and mates
• Increase climate resilience

In urban settings, this could include water butts, green roofs, vertical gardening up walls or fences, open spaces with wildflowers, and hedgehog holes between fences.

Benefits extend beyond wildlife. Research consistently shows that access to nature improves physical and mental health. People living near green space tend to be more active and more resilient. Trees and shrubs improve air quality. Green spaces absorb water, reducing flood risk and cooling neighbourhoods during heatwaves. Parks and shared spaces reduce loneliness and strengthen local networks. Community Nature Reserves share wildlife sightings, advice, seeds and support to be more wildlife-friendly.

A Community Nature Reserve isn’t just about biodiversity, it’s about healthier, happier, more resilient and connected communities.

Where are they?

Established Community Reserves have been set up in Bedminster, Totterdown, the Harbourside, Emersons Green, Frampton Cotterell, Willsbridge, Warmley, Winterbourne and Bath. 

In Bedminster, residents registered their gardens as part of the Greater Bedminster Urban Nature Reserve. It began with the question ‘how many butterfly species live here?’ from Ben Barker and grew into a community effort monitoring hedgehogs, bats and birds. Crucially, it brought neighbours together.

In Bath, Sarah Skeels transformed her front garden on a busy road into a wildlife haven, complete with chalkboard signs explaining what she was doing. “When people feel connected to nature and to each other, real change happens” Sarah explains.

In Emersons Green, a welcome pack of free seeds and window stickers sparked pride and momentum. Residents discovered they weren’t alone in wanting to make space for nature. 

Get started!

You don’t need to be an expert and can start small - window boxes and front gardens can make a big difference. Community Nature Reserves are never just about wildlife. They bring people together through a shared purpose.

Learn more with Team Wilder