Thank you to our Volunteers

During National Volunteering Week 1st-7th June, we try and take our practical conservation volunteers out for the day to visit another local restoration project. This year we visited the Nar Valley in Norfolk, where they have been undertaking an exciting restoration project.

Charles Rangeley-Wilson from the Wild Trout Trust and designer of the project was our guide for the morning. We were told about the history of the rivers and how a lot of the straighter chanels were created when there were lots of mills on the rivers, so that they could manage the water and increase the flows better. This meant that the orginal course of the river became lost over time.

The project looked to reinstate the old course of the river Nar through the valley, in some places it was quite hard to relocate and a new channel had to be created. We saw where natural woody debris - the larger the better - had been placed along the channel to increase the flow; work only finished last year was already florishing. The importance of creating meanders was also discussed and how working with understanding landowners all made for a great project.

The volunteers thoroughly enjoyed an inspiring and informative morning, thanks to Charles's enthusiam, with many planning to come and visit the parts we didn't reach another day.

Funding for Wildlife and People

We have been awarded nearly £5,000 from the CLA Charitable Trust (CLACT) to help support our work protecting and enhancing the landscape and wildlife of the Little Ouse Valley. The funding from the CLACT will go towards new trail cameras and monitoring equipment that will be used by LOHP volunteers, along with identification guides and other resources for use on guided walks to help visitors learn more about wildlife on the Fens.

The CLACT is funded almost entirely by subscriptions and donations from members of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), an organisation which represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses. It provides grants to charities and community organisations who share its vision to help connect people with the countryside and nature.

Bridget Biddell, Chairman of CLACT, said: “We are delighted to be able to assist with funding to support the excellent work of this charity that is dedicated to enhancing habitats of this important landscape. The CLACT is proud to be playing a small part in assisting projects such as this – enhancing knowledge of the natural environment can provide so many benefits for both wildlife and for society.”

Since its foundation in 1980, the trust has given £2m in grants to a wide variety of organisations and projects. If you would like to know more about applying for funding, or to donate, visit https://www.cla.org.uk/about-cla/charitable-trust/

LOHP Conservation Manager Ellie Beach said: “We are extremely grateful to the CLACT for the funding they have provided, it will assist our work greatly in this beautiful part of East Anglia. The trail cameras will allow us to gain an even better understanding of the wildlife located along the river and how we can develop habitats to help a wide range of species to thrive.”

LOHP would also like to thank all the other smaller grant funders that have helped make this project a success.

LOHP at 20!

It has been 20 years since LOHP first got together, two like-minded groups of volunteers realised that they were both managing sites for nature conservation - one on the Norfolk side of the Little Ouse the other on the Suffolk side. They joined together and formed Little Ouse Headwaters Project.

Take a look below at the LOHP at 20! Timeline

LOHP at 20! Timeline.pdf

Download PDF • 491KB

and LOHP at 20! A Brief History below to see what we have been up to over the years.

LOHP at 20! A Brief History.pdf

Download PDF • 3.46MB

Why not join us to celebrate our 20 years at 'Festival on the Fens'. To celebrate our work and thank the local community we are planning a celebration event in the summer on Sunday 3rd July, 11am to 4pm, based around Parkers Piece (opposite Thelnetham Windmill). There will be stalls, rural crafts, vintage tractors, art, children’s activities, guided walks, sheep dog demonstrations, refreshments, Thelnetham Windmill will also be open for tours, and much, much more. More details will be coming soon, hope you can join us to celebrate a successful 20 years.