Meet the Team


Rebecca Slack

Centre Manager

manager@cbdc.org.uk
07810 322127

Rebecca joined CBDC in 2023. Having initially trained as a plant ecologist, Rebecca then pursued a PhD in environmental management, working in solid waste and water quality research at a number of leading UK universities. More recently, Rebecca retrained as a horticulturist with the Royal Horticultural Society before working with the plant collection and garden charity, PlantNetwork.

Contact Rebecca with your general enquiries regarding CBDC including (but not limited to) potential collaborations, training, events, engagement or new project ideas.

moustafa_photo

Dr Moustafa Eweda

GIS and Data Manager

datamanager@cbdc.org.uk

Moustafa joined CBDC in 2011; his working experience demonstrates technical abilities for handling complex datasets and using statistical, modelling and mapping techniques; in creating and maintaining habitat layers, analysing habitat connectivity and assessing the influence of geographical phenomena on habitat fragmentation and species distribution. Moustafa’s main interest is to improve access to wildlife data by designing databases, mapping records, creating atlas maps and developing web applications for enhancing conservation practices and decision making. At CBDC Moustafa’s top priorities are to manage and map spatial data, his job has offered him opportunities to lead on various GIS projects at local and regional levels. Moustafa is Fellow member of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) and the British Cartographic Society (FBCartS).

Martin Harris

Recording Officer

recordingofficer@cbdc.org.uk
07771 621674

I’m the Recording Officer for CBDC and joined the team in late 2024. Having studied a MSc in Sustainability at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, I worked in Scotland as an ecological consultant, specialising in ornithology. I have also carried out voluntary work for a variety of organisations including the BTO, RSPB and WWT.

I work with individual recorders and recording groups across Cumbria to support them in collecting important biodiversity data and manage our incoming records on a day-to-day basis.

Contact me about getting involved in submitting records, hosting a recording day or any other issues related to wildlife recording!

Annwen Philipson

Recording Support Officer

Annwen.Philipson@tulliehouse.org

Annwen joined CBDC in October 2021 to assist the Recording Officer to input and validate all the data received from biological recorders in and around Cumbria.

Marjorie Hunt

Data Support Officer

marjorieh@cbdc.org.uk

Marjorie joined CBDC in January 2016 as a volunteer working on mapping the Phase 1 Habitat. She has been our part-time administration assistant since October 2021 bringing with her numerous years of office experience; the last 20 years working at Cumbria County Council. Marjorie is helping to organise the office and bring our filing systems up to date.

Beth Lightburn

County Wildlife Sites Field Officer

beth.lightburn@cbdc.org.uk

I’m the County Wildlife Sites Field Officer – my role at CBDC is working alongside Lee and our partners to carry out surveys of our wonderful County Wildlife Sites here in Cumbria. I visit the sites, collecting habitat and species data, and collating them to update the citations and database.

Prior to this role, I carried out habitat surveys, particularly in the uplands of northern England, and worked on the Tees-Swale programme, engaging people with the unique habitats, geology and species in Teesdale.

There’s not much I love more than botany and my fantastic home county of Cumbria – it’s people and beautiful diversity of habitats. It feels a privilege to be involved in this project.

Lee Bassett

County Wildlife Sites Field Officer

lee.bassett@cbdc.org.uk

I started my new position with CBDC in May 2024 and at the time of writing this I’ve been with CBDC for almost exactly one month. It’s been a great first month, filled with meeting new colleagues and getting to grips with the survey methodology used as part of the County Wildlife Sites project. Collecting data and conducting surveys in the field is at the heart of this position, which suits me very well as I’m happiest when out surveying an ancient woodland, calcareous grassland or blanket bog (and every habitat in between of course!). I’m looking forward to getting the opportunity to visit many County Wildlife Sites throughout our wonderfully varied county during the delivery of this project, so perhaps I’ll see you out and about in the wild parts of Cumbria!

Interested in working with us?

Find out how we can help you or your business via our Data Services section. If you’re interested in joining us, please head over to the Volunteering section to see how you can get involved. We’re always looking to collaborate with people who are as enthusiastic about wildlife as we are.

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 CentreFriday, November 22nd, 2024 at 2:34am
Are you new to wildlife recording? Or would you like to find out how to make your wildlife observations REALLY useful to a range of different people and organisations?
Join our first Winter Webinar on Tuesday 17th December, 6:30-7:30pm to find out more about recording the wildlife you see at home, work or when out & about. There will be time for questions too.
The session is free and open to all but no apologies for the focus on Cumbrian flora and fauna!
Find out more and book your free place via our website: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/winter-webinars/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreFriday, November 1st, 2024 at 5:19am
Did you take part in Cumbria Wild Watch 2024? If so, we would love to find out what you thought of it and how we might improve in the future.
If this is the first time you have heard of Cumbria Wild Watch, tell us too!
Survey here: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, October 30th, 2024 at 1:19am
Join us for two winter webinars to brighten the long, dark evenings: an Introduction to Biological Recording in December and Updating Cumbria's County Wildlife Sites in January.
Find out more and book your places:
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/winter-webinars/

Image: Beth Lightburn
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, October 28th, 2024 at 4:22am
The Cumbria Recorders' Conference 2025 will take place @Tullie on 22 February 2025. For more information and to reserve your place, please visit the CBDC website: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/recorders-conference/

Image: Beth Lightburn
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, October 23rd, 2024 at 4:06am
Event addendum to the CBDC Newsletter from BSBI:

Annual Scottish Meeting at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on Sat 02 Nov 2024. Small charge for registration.
British & Irish Botanical Conference on Sat 23 Nov at Natural History Museum, London. Free!
More details: https://bsbi.org/field-meetings-and-indoor-events
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, October 21st, 2024 at 3:27am
Do you consider yourself a moth-trapper?

If so, researchers at Natural History Museum and University College London would like you to take part in a short survey about moth trapping. To take part, click the link below:

https://qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_4SbRHvviPE42jC6