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.
It is apple season! The apple harvest looks good again this year - albeit with possibly smaller apples than usual. Traditionally managed orchards are good sites for biodiversity but their location and condition in Cumbria are not well understood. If you manage a traditional orchard, tell us about it. Do get in contact if you would be willing to share information about your orchard.
Ever wondered who works at @CBDC and what they do? Over the next few months, we'll feature a different team member each month and find out a little more about their role. So watch out in October for the first profile.....
We asked a well-known AI chatbot to create a cartoon of the CBDC team and it developed this image. Find out what it got right and what it got wrong in the coming months.
Biological recording in the autumn months sees a shift from recording flowering plants and summer migrant birds to fungi and winter migrant birds. Look out for the different fungal fruiting bodies that are appearing widely across different habitats at the moment - this year is already looking very promising for fungal forays.
We've just looked at the records received so far (and there are more coming in!) and it looks like the best year so far with more people taking part in helping to establish a biodiversity baseline for Cumbria.
Top species recorded was the Ringlet, with butterflies generally well recorded across the weekend. Selfheal was the top plant recorded.
Your last chance to contribute to wildlife records in Cumbria - used to inform nature recovery, planning & development, land management, education and research.
Do something AMAZING for nature - tell us what you see!