What Is a Community Nature Reserve?
A new approach to conservation that turns our gardens into a connected network of wildlife habitats—a nature reserve without boundaries.
A Distributed Nature Reserve
Unlike traditional nature reserves with defined boundaries, a Community Nature Reserve is made up of individual gardens across a town or area. Each participating garden becomes a piece of a larger puzzle, creating wildlife corridors that allow animals and insects to move safely between habitats.
This approach recognises that our gardens collectively represent a vast area of potential habitat. In the UK alone, private gardens cover more land than all our nature reserves combined.
By making small, wildlife-friendly changes to our gardens, we can create meaningful impact for biodiversity right where we live.
Garden-Based
Your garden is the habitat
Community-Led
Neighbours working together
Connected
Creating wildlife corridors
Scalable
Growing town by town
Why Gardens Matter for Wildlife
Vast Collective Area
UK gardens cover approximately 433,000 hectares—more than all our National Nature Reserves combined. This represents enormous potential for wildlife habitat.
Stepping Stones
Gardens can act as stepping stones, allowing wildlife to move between larger green spaces. This connectivity is crucial for species survival and genetic diversity.
Food and Shelter
Gardens provide essential resources: nectar for pollinators, berries for birds, shelter for hedgehogs, and breeding sites for amphibians.
Urban Refuges
As natural habitats decline, gardens become increasingly important refuges for wildlife, especially in urban and suburban areas.
Any Garden Can Take Part
You don't need a large garden or special expertise. Whether you have a balcony with pots, a small courtyard, or a large plot, you can make a difference. Renters are just as welcome as homeowners—many wildlife-friendly actions don't require permanent changes.
Balconies
Pots of wildflowers attract pollinators
Small Gardens
Even small spaces make a big impact
Large Gardens
Create diverse habitats and wild areas
The Power of Collective Action
One garden can support local wildlife. Hundreds of gardens working together can transform an entire community into a thriving ecosystem. That's the power of a Community Nature Reserve.
Founded by Luke Smout in Felixstowe, Suffolk, this pioneering model demonstrates how community-led conservation can create measurable impact for UK biodiversity.