About Us

Cumbria GeoConservation Group (CGC) is a voluntary geological conservation group working to record and look after important geological sites.

Membership comprises not only earth scientists and members of wildlife bodies, but also volunteers with other skills such as project management and data handling. New members are always welcome.

The Cumbria GeoConservation Group is an affiliated member of Geoconservation UK and seeks to:

  • identify new Local Geological Sites in Cumbria

  • monitor and review existing sites

  • promote the educational value of earth science field locations not only for essential teaching but for recreational and for research purposes

  • liaise with other county or regional Geoconservation groups in the UK

  • maintain responsible access to valued sites

Currently there are about 280 recorded sites all of which have been evaluated by our members. Site details are logged with Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC) and are relayed to Cumbria County Council and planning authorities. CGC operates as a special interest group of Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

Examples of Local Geological Sites suitable for inclusion in the Cumbria GeoConservation system include:

  • rocks and soils exposed in quarries, cuttings, stream sections and coastal localities

  • geomorphological features in the landscape such as areas affected by past glaciation and subsequent deposition, ridges and valleys, moorland and floodplain tracts

  • anthropogenic features including former quarrying, mining, tipping and former industrial sites

The sites we have listed and that are shown on the interactive map are ones that are accessible without seeking permission, are on Open Access land or visible from public rights of way.  By their very nature some of these sites are in remote areas, open fellside or tidally-flooded shores: wear appropriate clothing and use common sense - safety is your responsibility.

Follow the Countryside Code:    Follow the Geological Society guidance

Follow the Geologists Association Code for Rock Coring  and Field Work.

Those sites which we consider are particularly interesting to the general public are  shown as red dots on the map and for some of these sites there is a choice between a non-technical ‘leaflet’ (downloadable as a pdf) with further details, a map and a photograph or a ‘site data sheet’ with more geological information for the amateur geologist.

Fossil & mineral collecting code:

Please be aware that it is illegal in the UK to take minerals or fossils from national parks, heritage sites or Local Geological Sites (LGS). You should never collect specimens from scientifically important sites, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or LGS.

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, January 20th, 2025 at 6:27am
Last chance to register for the webinar:
Updating Cumbria’s County Wildlife Sites

Tomorrow at 6:30pm.

A golden opportunity to find out more about the project, County Wildlife Sites and important habitat in Cumbria. Come along!

To register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmc0gvIgFRX4DVhlI-042B18KZJ_TOis8nqtAFzShww7M0zg/viewform
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, January 8th, 2025 at 1:29am
@RHS Science and Collections Summer Studentships - apply by 31 Jan 2025 for an undergrad research opportunity including data collection on urban tree planting!
https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/qualifications-and-training/work-based-training/science-and-collections-summer-studentships
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreSunday, January 5th, 2025 at 1:12am
12/12 days of Christmas:
For the twelfth day, we wanted to share the county flower of Cumbria, Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) or ‘Bog Star’, seen here as wall art in Whitehaven….. Not in flower just yet but look out for it in the summer in damp places across Cumbria.
Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter, sent out every two months with news, events, stories and other useful info about wildlife recording!

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreSaturday, January 4th, 2025 at 1:08am
11/12 days of Christmas:
Cumbria Wild Watch 2025
Get recording for the big Cumbrian recording event of the year – 26-29 June 2025
Help us to better understand the wildlife of Cumbria – now and for future generations!
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreFriday, January 3rd, 2025 at 12:59am
10/12 days of Christmas:
Join the Bothel Community Wildlife Group's bioblitz this May, supported by CBDC and many others. A 24 hour event - with camping at the farm.

See https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/bioblitz/ for more information
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, January 2nd, 2025 at 1:21am
9/12 days of Christmas:
Find out more about the Cumbria County Wildlife Sites (CWS) Project on Tuesday 21st January at 6:30pm in a free webinar.

The project is looking to survey CWS across the county to find out more about them - and there are over 1600 sites!

Meet the team and find out how you could get involved:
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/winter-webinars/