Team Wilder Community Nature Reserve

The idea of an urban or community nature reserve is to take an entire block of land with a mixture of dense housing, semi-green spaces and wilder places and not just declare it a nature reserve, but bring the community together to join up the green spaces and encourage greater wildlife friendliness. 

Just like Team Wilder, all small actions for nature collectively make a big difference.

Ben Barker, one of the founders of Blooming Bedminster and numerous local wildlife projects, created a form for BS3 residents to complete about wildlife sightings and habitats in their gardens. An urban nature reserve combines information from gardens and local green spaces. BS3 residents register their front and/or back garden spaces to be part of the ‘nature reserve’.

Wildlife friendly features include a water feature, bushes, wood pile, bird box, pollinator friendly plants etc. Sightings of mammals, birds, insects and amphibians are also recorded.

You don't need to be a wildlife expert! Awareness and education about wildlife gardening is celebrated, encouraged and increased. One single garden can create a lot for wildlife, but combined with other green spaces more is achieved. By sharing wildlife sightings you are taking action for nature. 

Emersons Green Town Council launched their Community Nature Reserve with an event in January 2023 to speak with local residents directly about this exciting development. The nature reserve includes both private gardens and land under local authority control, over the whole town council area, including Blackhorse, Lyde Green and parts of Mangotsfield. 

Everyone who manages a garden with wildlife in mind is invited to say what they are doing and register their patch of land as part of the nature reserve. As of June 2023, there are over 200 gardens registered as part of the Community Nature Reserve!

Why do I need to register my garden– I can just do this on my own?

"By registering you get the window sticker to display to show you are part of the Community Nature Reserve. Lots of these going up locally will create a buzz. The more people who register, the more others are encouraged to do so. It gives visible backing to a worthwhile community project – the members organising it get feedback that people are engaged and feel it is of value.

It shows we care about the natural world and helps shift public opinion. By registering your garden you are saying ‘I back this’. This sends a powerful message to our community, local council and businesses that people here are concerned about the environment and influences their behaviours and policies. By registering we can work together on micro projects – for example if several neighbours register, we can look at assisting with creating hedgehog corridors between gardens. The more people who register, the more others are encouraged to do so". Emersons Green Park Community Nature Reserve.

Willsbridge Community Nature Reserve, South Gloucestershire 
South Gloucestershire council, Common Connections, have been working with local schools and residents in the Willsbridge area to boost nature recovery by creating and connecting more wildlife friendly habitats. In Willsbridge, Parkwell Primary school lead a walk with wildlife celebrations at a launch event in October, 2023 to show what they had been doing and encourage other residents to take part. 
Sign up to Willsbridge Community Nature Reserve if you live locally and find out more about how to get involved.