Durham Wildlife Trust owns or manages 25 nature reserves covering approximately 550 hectares of land, throughout County Durham and the Boroughs of South Tyneside, Gateshead, Darlington and the City of Sunderland.

The Trust's reserves are managed to enhance biodiversity and they comprise a range of habitats including internationally important limestone grasslands, species rich upland hay meadows, semi-natural woodland, open water, reed swamp and fen meadow.