Background Vast landscapes of wet and dry heathlands, mires and bogs, grassland and lowland river systems once covered much of the Campine regions in Belgium as well as other regions of northwest Europe. The valley of the Dommel is one of the most impressive remnants of those once widely spread landscapes. In the 1950s, the river Dommel was straightened, the water levels became lower and changes in land use practices led to increased input of nutrients, afforestation with exotic tree species and abandonment of extensive uses. This caused a dramatic decrease in the variety of habitats and species. On both sides of the Belgian-Dutch border, volunteers have worked to conserve the most remarkable habitats and species. A great number of habitats types of Community interest can thus still be found in the valley. The entire area has now been designated an SPA and SCI. Because of its north-south orientation, the valley is the most important ecological link between the Belgian Natura 2000 area ‘Hoge Kempen’ and the large heath areas of the southern part of North Brabant in the Netherlands. The two countries are now making efforts to implement coherent management that supports trans-boundary connections between habitats and species. Objectives The long-term objective for the area was to establish an ecological corridor between the heath habitats of the Hoge Kempen and the heath habitats in North Brabant by restoring habitats along the valley and thus creating a network of stepping stones for species migration. The immediate objectives of the project were to expand and increase the quality of the priority habitats "Calcareous fens with great fen-sedge (Cladium mariscus)" and "Alluvial forests with black alder (Alnus glutinosa) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior)". Furthermore, the project aimed to expand the breeding habitats of the great bittern (Botaurus stellaris) and other reed-inhabiting birds and to carry out large-scale restoration of a complex of fens, heaths and inland dunes with transition mires and quaking bogs. Finally, the project will focus on restoring a type of grasslands (‘wateringgraslanden’) that is very specific for the region. These grasslands were in the past irrigated with calcareous water from the river Meuse in order to balance the pH of the soils and now form a unique type of lowland hay meadow. The restoration and establishment of trails and observation posts for visitors is also an integrated part of the project to ensure local involvement and acceptance and to reduce the disturbance of nesting bird species. Local farmers and volunteers associated with the beneficiary will be involved in the management of the area after the LIFE project. Results The LIFE project ‘Dommeldal’ illustrated the cross-border character of the Natura 2000 network: it resulted in the restoration of valuable habitats from Peer in Flanders up to Valkenswaard in the Netherlands. Typical Campine nature, such as land dunes, heathlands, ponds, irrigated grasslands (‘vloeiweiden’), orchid-rich hayfields and alluvial forests, were restored, and new opportunities were created for threatened species, such as the European nightjar, the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) and the alcon blue butterfly (Phengaris alcon). As part of the project, many lots were swapped with local farmers to stop soil degradation and area loss. A total of 130 000 m3 nutrient-rich soil was removed and land topography was restored. A dozen ponds were created along with the easing of smooth transitions towards drier sandy land. Around 25ha of uniform softwood stands at Hageven-De Plateaux were removed to restore heath habitats. In the upstream parts of the Dommel the network function of heathlands was restored by creating small patches of heath which now serve as stepping stones between the remaining heathlands. In the headwaters of the Bollisserbeek heaths were restored at three locations. Next to it, monotonous softwood stands were cut at Resterheide (Hechtel-Eksel) and Heihuiskens (Peer). By removing the top soil (sod cutting), the long-living seed bank was exposed and heath can now regenerate. Around 15 ha of small heathland patches were restored in this way. At Hageven the Dommel marshes are particularly valuable. The extensive reed beds attract rare birds such as Eurasian Bittern, Western Marsh Harrier and Savi’s Warbler. The western marshes are fed by seepage, rising fresh spring water reaching the ground level. The area of the rare fens, ‘Calcareous Cladium fens’, which are named after the most the abundant plant species found here, great fen-sedge (Cladium mariscus), was substantially enlarged during the LIFE project. Reed beds were transformed to benefit regrowth of the sedge and accompanying marsh plants. The removal of these reed beds was compensated along the river Dommel. That way, typical reed birds are still able to breed or winter at Hageven. Also, meadows along the Dommel were rewetted by creating small-scale depressions and impounding the ground water level. Around 8 ha of flower-rich, wet Mollinia meadows were restored. Other results include the removal of man-made woodlands and the control of these alien species such as black cherry (Prunus serotina). During the course of this LIFE project, 20 ha of wet forests were restored. Together with mowing, grazing was encouraged to preserve heaths and nutrient poor meadows. At Hageven and the Dommel valley 16 km of cattle fences were erected to manage grazing on a 55 ha area. This management is cost-effective as local farmers graze their livestock in both areas. Mowing and haymaking were also carried out in the project sites in order to deplete the soil of nutrients. As heathland is very nutrient poor, the spreading of manure was necessary. Furthermore, calcareous river water from the River Meuse was conveyed towards grassland complexes. by an extensive network of entrance channels and smaller ducts. The liming effect of the Meuse water allows an exceptionally flower-rich grassland type to develop, and the project preserve these valuable grasslands at Pelterheggen in the Netherlands and at Lommel-Kolonie in Flanders. Finally hiking paths were reconstructed and new visitor guides were created. Also much information has been disseminated in the area, by means of information panels and exhibitions. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).