A nature reserve is a protected area that is important for plants, animals, fungi, or special natural features. These areas are set aside and managed to protect wildlife and natural features, and to allow people to study or research them. Governments or private groups, like charities and research organizations, may create these reserves. Nature reserves are grouped into different IUCN categories based on how strictly they are protected. Usually, they are more strictly protected than nature parks. Different regions may use other names, such as ecological protection area or private protected area, in their laws and official documents.

History

Cultural practices that are similar to creating and protecting special areas for animals have existed since ancient times. In the 3rd century B.C., King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka created the Mihintale wildlife sanctuary, which is considered one of the world’s earliest wildlife sanctuaries. Many early protected areas had religious reasons, such as the "evil forest" regions in West Africa, where people were not allowed to enter because they believed they would face spiritual dangers if they went there. Sacred places that were off-limits to humans for fishing or hunting were common in many ancient cultures around the world.

The first modern nature reserve was created in 1821 by Charles Waterton, a naturalist and explorer, near his estate in Walton Hall, West Yorkshire. He spent £9,000 to build a wall three miles long and nine feet tall to keep poachers out of his park. To help birds, he planted trees and carved holes in tree trunks for owls to nest in. Waterton also made artificial nest boxes for starlings, western jackdaws, and sand martins. He tried, but failed, to bring little owls from Italy to live there. He allowed local people to visit his reserve. David Attenborough later said Waterton was one of the first people to understand that nature was important and needed protection as humans used more of it.

In modern-day Germany, Drachenfels became the first nature reserve protected by the state in 1836 to stop further mining of the area. The first major nature reserve was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States. This was followed by the Royal National Park near Sydney, Australia, and the Barguzin Nature Reserve in Imperial Russia. The Barguzin Reserve was the first of a type of protected area called zapovedniks, created by the government for scientific research.

Around the world

There are many national and international groups that help manage non-profit animal sanctuaries and refuges. These groups create rules that sanctuaries can follow. One group, the American Sanctuary Association, helps monitor and support facilities that care for exotic wildlife. The number of sanctuaries has increased a lot in recent years.

In Australia, a "nature reserve" is a type of protected area used in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Australia. The term "nature reserve" is defined by the laws of these states and territories, not by a single national law. As of 2016, 1,767 out of 11,044 protected areas in the Australian National Reserve System had the word "nature reserve" in their names.

In Brazil, nature reserves are classified by the National System of Nature Conservation Units as ecological stations or biological reserves. Their main goal is to protect plants, animals, and natural features while limiting human activity. Visits are allowed only with permission and for educational or scientific purposes. Changes to ecosystems are allowed to help restore balance, protect biodiversity, and support natural processes. Ecological stations may make changes within strict limits, such as affecting no more than 3% of the area or 1,500 hectares, for research. Wildlife reserves in Brazil are also protected, and hunting is not allowed. However, products from research can be sold.

Wildlife refuges in Brazil aim to protect natural plants and animals, ensuring conditions for species to live and reproduce. These refuges can be on private land as long as the landowners' use of the land matches the goals of the refuge. Public visits require approval from the management plan and must follow rules set by the main administrative and research body.

In Canada, the Niagara Escarpment and the St. Lawrence River in Ontario are two of 18 nature reserves recognized by UNESCO. Canada’s federal government protects 55 National Wildlife Areas, which are home to species of ecological importance. These areas are protected by the Canada Wildlife Act, managed by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. About half of these areas are marine habitats, and the rest are land habitats.

Groups like Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy also protect nature reserves in Canada. These organizations help protect wilderness on private lands through Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program.

In Egypt, there are 30 nature reserves covering 12% of the country’s land. These reserves were created based on laws passed in 1983 and 1994. Egypt planned to build 40 more nature reserves between 1997 and 2017 to protect natural resources and cultural heritage. The largest reserve in Egypt is Gebel Elba, which covers 35,600 square kilometers in the southeast near the Red Sea.

In Eritrea, the British established the Yob Wildlife Reserve in 1959 to protect Nubian ibex populations.

Denmark has three national parks and several nature reserves, some of which are inside national parks. The largest single reserve is Hanstholm Nature Reserve, covering 40 km² and part of Thy National Park.

Sweden has 30 national parks, with the first established in 1909. There are nearly 4,000 nature reserves in Sweden, covering about 85% of the land protected by the Swedish Environmental Code.

Estonia has five national parks, over 100 nature reserves, and about 130 landscape protection areas. The largest nature reserve in Estonia is Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, covering 342 km².

As of 2017, France has 10 national parks, about 50 regional nature parks, and 8 marine parks.

In 1995, Germany had 5,314 nature reserves covering 6,845 km². The largest areas were in Bavaria and Lower Saxony.

Hungary has 10 national parks, over 15 nature reserves, and more than 250 protected areas. Hortobágy National Park is the largest continuous natural grassland in Europe and the oldest national park in Hungary. It was created in 1972 and includes alkaline grasslands, marshes, and fishponds. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kosovo has 2 national parks, 11 nature reserves, 99 natural monuments, and 3 protected landscapes. The national parks are Bjeshkët e Nemuna and Sharr Mountains.

As of 2011, Poland had 1,469 nature reserves.

In Portugal, nature reserves are one of 11 types of protected areas. As of 2012, Portugal had 46 protected areas covering 6,807.89 km² of land and 463.94 km² of marine areas. Nine of these were classified as nature reserves.

About 5.18% of Romania’s land is protected, including the Danube Delta, which covers half of this area.

Spain has 15 National Parks and about 90 Natural Parks. It has the most sites listed in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Ukraine has 4 biosphere reserves, 17 nature reserves, and 40 national parks. These areas cover 160,000 hectares and include 2,632 habitat management areas, 3,025 nature monuments, and 1,430 other protected areas.

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have different rules for managing nature reserves.

As of March 2004, England had 215 national nature reserves covering 879 km². These reserves are spread across England and include important habitats for rare plants, insects, and birds. Examples include alpine plants in Upper Teesdale and snake’s head fritillaries in Cricklade, Wiltshire.

England also has over 1,050 local nature reserves covering nearly 40,000 hectares. These reserves include coastal areas, woodlands, meadows, and former industrial sites. A good example is Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in East Sussex.