Is it time to give up on the nature reserve? A recent Guardian article examines claims that the nature reserve is an obsolete idea in an age when climate change makes wildlife more mobile.

Some of my best wildlife moments have been in random places. My first wildlife memory was at a Burger King restaurant. But some of the others have been at nature reserves, places where I’ve seen rare and special wildlife that isn’t found anywhere else. But how well equipped are nature reserves equipped to deal with climate change.

Species in the UK have predominantly moved northwards in the past few decades, a trend that continues. But does this mean that nature reserves are no longer worthwhile ventures, that they’re in all the wrong places in relation to wildlife’s future needs?

1.    Climate change will affect wildlife at the landscape scale

The impacts of climate change will affect the weather patterns of the UK. Species will shift their ranges over many kilometres. Managing habitats at a landscape scale enables us to think beyond the boundaries of the nature reserve. It forces us to consider what happens to wildlife when it moves beyond the fence-lines we artificially erect around well-managed habitats. Thinking about what happens beyond the edge of a particular nature reserve is important.

2.    Protected areas provide good habitat for wildlife to colonise.

New research shows that when species move outside of a protected area (a nature reserve), they disproportionately colonise protected areas. 40% of colonisation takes place in the 8% of land that forms protected areas. So, far from being rendered obsolete by climate change, well-managed habitats are increasingly important to cushion the difficult process of moving home that species have to go through.

3.    Nature reserves provide inspiration and education.

The nature reserves of yore are dead – it’s no longer about excluding people from an area. Personally, I think the more appropriate access that can be achieved, the better. If people, particularly young people, are inspired to care about nature, they’re more likely to take decisions and press for policies that protect it. Access to green space near home is important for all, but nature reserves have the rare wildlife, staff and volunteers to create a particularly special experience.

It’s important to continue to designate and manage nature reserves. Empirical evidence now shows how this can help to soften the blows dealt by climate change; it fits into (rather than contradicts) a landscape-scale approach; and ultimately protected areas provide hubs of wildlife where concentrated effort can be made on educating and inspiring the public and young people.