Data for the Public

We provide a non-commercial enquiry service for species, habitats, and sites data to recording groups, members of the public, schools, colleges, students, etc. Though this service is often free of charge, we address pricing on a case-by-case basis.

All official enquiries must go through our Data Request Form, available at the link below. If you have any general data-related questions, feel free to contact our Data Manager.

Download Data Request Form (.docx, Word)

Make an enquiry to CBDC

To make an enquiry, please download and complete our Data Request form (Word document) and email the completed form to our Recording Officer. To ensure you get the information you require, please read our Guidance Notes as well as our Terms and Conditions.

To learn about our services, please see our Standard Data Searches section. If your needs aren’t covered by our standard searches, please specify your requirements in an email via the form on our Contact Page or contact our Recording Officer, directly.

Our aim is to make information about Cumbria’s natural environment used as widely as possible.  Only some of our data is available via the NBN Atlas so currently you will need to contact us directly to access the 2.8 million records we hold.

Download: Data Request form (Word Document)

Please note:

CBDC reserves the right to exercise discretion in reducing or waiving charges where there is good cause.

Enquires for large amounts of data or complex enquiries that will take more than 1 hour of CBDC time are liable for charging, unless a Data Exchange Agreement is in place.

Enquiries for conservation and land management are usually chargeable. However, to support local biodiversity conservation we give each conservation charity with nature reserves/land in Cumbria who is actively contributing records to CBDC up to three free standard single site data requests per organisation per annum.

No chargeable service will be carried out without CBDC contacting the enquirer for confirmation to proceed.

If you need clarification about your enquiry please contact one of our staff  who will contact you before proceeding with the request.

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 CentreTuesday, November 25th, 2025 at 5:36am
Can you see a pattern emerging here?

Join the Cumbria Ecoskills training sessions between 29th Nov 2025 and 29th May 2026 to learn something new and contribute to nature recovery in Cumbria.

As well as Trees: Seeds to Saplings on 28th Nov and Introduction to Mosses & Bryophytes on 31st Jan, we have a Coppicing Workshop on 10th Feb - an excellent opportunity to learn a practical new skill to manage woodlands, create forest products AND do something positive for nature. Hosted at CWT Brown Robin Nature Reserve.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-ecoskills/coppicing-workshop/e-mqjyqe
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, November 20th, 2025 at 2:00am
Can't make our next Cumbria Ecoskills session on 28th Nov? How about coming to the 'Introduction to Mosses and Liverworts' on 31st Jan 2026?

Find out more about this session on the Cumbria Ecoskills webpage (along with all the other courses: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-ecoskills/) or book your place now before the session books up:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-ecoskills/introduction-to-mosses-and-liverworts/e-bbboox
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, November 17th, 2025 at 1:55am
Join the next #Cumbria #Ecoskills session which is exploring tree growing (seed to sapling) with Growing Well Tree Nursery Tebay and People Plant Trees on 28th November. A free session to start the second instalment of Cumbria Ecoskills training!

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-ecoskills/trees-from-seeds-to-saplings/e-zeeljp
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, November 12th, 2025 at 1:12am
Cumbria Ecoskills has launched a new programme of training sessions, November 2025-May 2026. A large range of ID, land management and surveying sessions - with more coming soon. Costs vary from free to £10 per session so something for every budget. Places strictly limited so sign up now!

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-ecoskills/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, November 10th, 2025 at 1:00am
The Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy (#Cumbria #LNRS) has been published. Take a look at:
- Overall vision: https://cumbrialnrs.org.uk/homepage-0
- Statement of biodiversity priorities: https://cumbrialnrs.org.uk/statement-biodiversity-priorities
- Local habitat map: https://cumbrialnrs.org.uk/local-habitat-map

And watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJq4-t77OBM

Huge thank you to all recorders who took part in the consultation workshops!
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, October 8th, 2025 at 10:00pm
We're here at #WatchtreeNatureReserve and ready to record.... Here are a few already spotted!

If you're in the area, do drop in to find out more about recording or to take part (after tea and cake in the cafe)....