Tag:leisure=nature_reserve
 leisure = nature_reserve
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A protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest. 
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| Group: leisure |
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Status: de facto
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A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest.
Nature reserves should be tagged with boundary=protected_area or boundary=national_park and in some cases additionally with this tag.
The boundary=* tagging scheme is newer and more versatile but there is not yet complete agreement when exactly the one or other tag or the combination is preferable. leisure=nature_reserve was the first one to be used and was used very often for national parks and similar reserves that also have a leisure/recreational aspect - hence it would appear reasonable to apply the respective boundary=* to all areas and leisure=nature_reserve to those that have some kind of recreational character or are of greater interest to the general public.
Nature reserves may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions.[1] They may offer amenities such as parking, restrooms, interpretive signage, guided tours and/or a visitor center. Human activity permitted in these areas is often limited to walking on designated foot paths.
If you want to map areas that are especially intended for nature conservation (which are usually also internationally recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) use boundary=protected_area.
Examples
Gillespie Park Nature ReserveSimilar tags
boundary=protected_areais a more recently introduced tag with a more verbose tagging scheme which can deal with all kind of protections and protection levels. It attempts to encompass both nature reserves and national parks, and is used more and more.boundary=national_parkis a form of protected area. Like a nature reserve it is about protecting wildlife etc, and is normally designated by a government. The distinction is unclear and is under discussion, but some suggestions are: nature reserves are smaller areas than national parks. National parks are rather like administrative boundaries around large areas whereas nature reserves are more evident on-the-ground. National parks are often named "X national park", and are in some sense officially proclaimed a national park.boundary=forest: if a whole delimited forest is also a nature reserve, according to the "One feature, one OSM element", the approved tagging isboundary=forest+protect_class=*.
