The Little Ouse Headwaters project was set up by local residents in 2002 to promote the conservation and enjoyment of the fenland habitats and landscapes of the upper valley of the Little Ouse.

The rivers Little Ouse and Waveney both have their origins in the shallow valley which marks the historic boundary between the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. They rise between the villages of South Lopham in Norfolk and Redgrave in Suffolk, the Waveney flowing east and the Little Ouse flowing west to join the Great Ouse. This river corridor formerly held the most extensive area of valley fenland in England, uniting the great wildernesses of Breckland and Broadland. Local people derived an income from the land by cutting peat for fuel, sedge for thatching, litter for animal bedding, and by grazing stock and shooting. The interaction between man and this environment created a unique landscape. A mosaic of reed and sedge beds with alder and sallow woodland fringing the rivers gave way to dry, heathy pastures on the valley sides. The fields were bordered by oak trees, many of which were pollarded to provide a renewable source of timber.

The river course was canalised as early as the 18th Century but more radical change followed the Second World War, when over-deepening of the channel led to drying-out and conversion to arable agriculture of much of the surrounding land. Small areas of fenland, belonging to local parishes, survived but their wildlife interest continued to decline. The ending of traditional management practices, the lowering of water tables and consequent dehydration and reduction in water quality, and the inability of many species to recolonise such small, isolated patches of land, all contributed to this decline.

Today, despite these losses, pockets of land around the headwaters of the Little Ouse and Waveney still retain wildlife that is recognised as being of international importance. The area encompassed by this project includes two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). These sites also form part of the new Waveney and Little Ouse Valley Fen Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which recognises their importance in a European context. A further four sites retain wildlife of interest in a county context whilst others contribute to the characteristic landscape of the valley and have the potential for restoration of their wildlife interest. The eastern boundary of the project area adjoins Redgrave and Lopham Fen which is a National Nature Reserve and internationally important wetland (a RAMSAR site).

Groups of interested residents from the Parishes of Redgrave, South Lopham, Blo'Norton, Hinderclay and Thelnetham came together in 2002 to establish a charity to conserve and enhance the environmental value of the river valley within their parishes. The charity is run entirely by volunteers. Its trustees comprise nominees from the five Parish Councils in the project area together with other local residents with particular knowledge and interests relevant to the project. It works closely with, and supports, other local charities. Our long-term aims are:

• To re-create and maintain a continuous corridor of wildlife habitat along the headwaters of the Little Ouse by:
• improving the wildlife diversity
• where appropriate, restoring natural river features
• improving water quality
• To facilitate rural regeneration and land-use diversification
• To improve recreation, amenity and education value for the community
• To improve landscape quality and safeguard against flooding

We hope to achieve these aims through the maintenance and enhancement of the existing wetland, woodland and heathland, and in the longer-term by the re-creation of some of the valley's fens, meadows and river meanders. Our practical land management is achieved through a mix of volunteer labour and the use, whenever possible, of local contractors. We have started to improve public access to the valley by the creation of new permissive footpaths and we hope eventually to include cycle and bridle ways. Some of the area's roads have been designated "Quiet Lanes", encouraging use by pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. We hope that this will substantially increase the area's potential for low-impact tourism. This in turn will bring benefits to the local economy through the provision of farm accommodation and produce outlets, and increased trade for local shops, pubs and historic buildings.

The project is building on the work of the local voluntary groups that managed Blo'Norton and Hinderclay Fens, on behalf of these parishes. In 2002, the project secured ten-year tenancy agreements on two important parcels of land adjacent to the river: The Frith in South Lopham and The Lows in Blo'Norton. We raised funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund, DEFRA (Countryside Stewardship), the Shell Better Britain Community Fund and the East Anglian Daily Times Wild Flower Award scheme to start to restore these two sites.

In 2003 we purchased the western end of Blo'Norton Fen SSSI/SAC and named it 'Betty's Fen' after Mrs Betty Williams, the previous owner. In 2005 the LOHP entered into a new lease agreeement for Blo' Norton Fen and Blo' Norton Little Fen, enabling us to continue the successful restoration and management work started by the Blo' Norton Fen Conservation Group in 1997.

Funding for the purchase of Betty's Fen came from a major grant from the European Union in 2003. This formed part of an ambitious partnership scheme led by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, covering the whole of the Little Ouse and Waveney valleys. This was turn is part of an international project, the Trans-national Ecological Network (TEN), that has restored river corridors in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

Our TEN grant, together with additional funds raised through our Riverlink Appeal, also enabled us to undertake a significant restoration project at Hinderclay Fen, as well as creating further facilities for access, interpretation, and education. Many residents of the villages have fond memories of the river and fens from years ago and many, both young and old, still enjoy the landscape of the valley and its remaining wildlife.

There are many ways in which you can support the Little Ouse Headwaters Project in its work to enhance the valley for its wildlife and for us all to enjoy. These range from practical management tasks at weekends to restore the land we already manage in the villages of Hinderclay, Blo'Norton and South Lopham, to membership of the Charity or involvement in biological recording, or in publicity and fund-raising.