Overcoming the challenges faced by national parks in the 21st century will be the focus of a conference to be held in the Broads.

The National Park Societies Annual Conference will come to the wetlands next month and will be hosted by the Broads Society, which is celebrating its 60th birthday year.

Running for three days in October, members of the UK's 15 national park societies will visit sites such as How Hill and St Benet's Abbey, as well as hearing talks from key Broads figures.

It will look ongoing work to safeguard and promote the Broads for future generations.

Robin Godber, chairman of the Broads Society, said securing the conference in the region was 'a real success'.

'We last held this in the mid-90s,' he said. 'We came up with the theme of sustainability because it fits in with what we are trying to achieve, as well as challenges faced by other national parks.'

Study groups will also undertake trips to Waveney River Centre and Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve, while Peter Howe will also present on the Love the Broads visitor donation scheme.

Local speakers will include Henry Cator, who will discuss farming on the Broads, and Keith Bacon, who will look at the work on Hickling Broad.

Mr Godber said: 'It is quite a varied line-up, but it is designed to give members of other national park societies an idea of the problems that we are facing.

'Obviously every society that visits has a slightly different remit depending on the area and the authority they work with, but we hope this reflects a lot of them.'

The conference will run from Friday, October 21 to Sunday 23, with much of the proceedings held at the Belsey Bridge Conference Centre in Bungay.

• Do you have a Broads story for us? Email Lauren Cope on lauren.cope@archant.co.uk