Mapping Atlantic Woodlands

Helping to conserve lichens and bryophytes in Cumbria.

Client: Plantlife, LOST Project (Looking Out for the Small Things)
Date: 2018
Services: Data Analysis, Digital Mapping

Plantlife’s ‘Looking Out for Small Things’ is a Lottery Heritage funded (LHF) project raising awareness of Cumbria’s Atlantic woodlands, alongside the lichens and bryophytes that are special to these habitats.

CBDC was commissioned by Plantlife to complete a desk based assessment, collating pre-existing information on woodland and lower plant distribution across the county.  Site suitability was decided by the analysing habitat, meteorological, and topographical data, along with the presence of key indicator species. The maps that we produced have contributed to improving knowledge on habitat connectivity across Cumbria, whilst recognising important Atlantic woodland sites and highlighting other potential areas that need further exploration.

The LOST project team trained volunteers in bryophyte and lichen identification, who are now investigating the key areas identified by CBDC, aiming to confirm the presence of important species that may be used to record the extent and condition of Atlantic woodlands in Cumbria.

Above:
One of the maps that CBDC produced for LOST, displaying locations of suitable woodlands and key indicator species.

Download high resolution (.jpg)

Above:
Sticta Canariensis lichen (blue and green morphotype), a Cumbrian specialty.

Links and Credits:

LOST website
– All photography by April Windle (Twitter)

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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre

The Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre at Tullie House Museum, Carlisle keeps wildlife information for the county of Cumbria. Tullie House Museum, in its role as a local natural history museum, has collected and disseminated records of wildlife in Cumbria since its inception in 1893. From the early 1990s the Museum has developed a computerised database of species and habitat records in Cumbria and has taken the central role in providing a local biodiversity data service for the county. This role was restyled as Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC) in 2010, a not-for-profit organisation hosted by Tullie House Museum and advised by local stakeholders.
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, June 30th, 2025 at 1:47am
We're looking for a Seasonal Field Officer to join the County Wildlife Sites Project team - could this be you?
Applications must be received by 9am tomorrow (1st July).

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/about-us/job-vacancies/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreSunday, June 29th, 2025 at 9:35pm
Thank you to everyone who took part in Cumbria Wild Watch 2025! Without records from individual recorders, our understanding of the wildlife of Cumbria would be far less complete.

#CumbriaWildWatch #Cumbria #30dayswild
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreSaturday, June 28th, 2025 at 9:12pm
Fourth and final day of Cumbria Wild Watch - so if you haven't recorded anything yet - now is the time!
Wherever you are in Cumbria, please record (and submit your records) the wildlife around you.
CBDC will join Wild for Wigton at Throstle Park in Wigton from 10am to record the park and to share information on wildlife recording so do come along!

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/

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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreFriday, June 27th, 2025 at 9:31pm
Third day of Cumbria Wild Watch!
CBDC are out and about in Cumbria today - at Whitehaven Coastal Cliffs and at the Festival of the Lake at the Jetty Museum in Bowness-on-Windermere so please do come and see us. There are other events taking place too - such as Celebrating Swifts at the Swifts Nature Reserve in Carlisle.

Or take part in your own bit of Cumbria by recording wildlife on your doorstep...

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/

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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, June 26th, 2025 at 9:05pm
Day 2 of Cumbria Wild Watch!
Join us today at Elizabeth's Wood in the centre of Keswick to help us record the plants, animals and fungi we find. CBDC will be onsite from 10am till mid afternoon so do come along and try some recording - if you can brave the rain...
If you are elsewhere in Cumbria, please do take five minutes to record any trees, flowering plants, birds, insects etc. that you see.
More information: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/

#CumbriaWildWatch #Cumbria #30dayswild
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, June 25th, 2025 at 9:00pm
The first day of Cumbria Wild Watch - an opportunity to contribute to establishing a biodiversity baseline for Cumbria. Please record any and all wildlife you see - plants, animals, fungi - while you are out and about today and until 29th June.
If you would like more information on how to take part, please see:
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/