Volunteering & Events: Get Involved

Volunteering

Volunteers are vital to the work of CBDC, both in the role of volunteer recorders and helping us in the office. We are not currently taking on volunteers at the moment but this will change in the future.  Please keep a check on this page and click the link below to find out more.

Volunteering For CBDC

Training

 CBDC run training events and courses.

Please contact us for more information.

Events

We organise a small number of events each year that give our volunteers the chance to meet each other, gain new skills and practise recording.

Annual Recorders Conference

This annual event attended by over 50 recorders provides an opportunity to find out about national and local recording activities.

Training Days

Cumbria has a long tradition of highly skilled recorders across a wide range of plants and animals. CBDC provides training on Biological Recording and works with local experts to run plant and animal Identification skills.

Bioblitz

Each year CBDC works with local conservation organisations to run a Bioblitz. The purpose is to record as many different species in a short period of time. These events are open the public and those interested in wildlife whether an experienced recorder or just beginning.

Recording Days

A small programme, usually 4 days, over the summer months to visit and record wildlife sites that have not been visited for a while. These days are for experienced recorders and members of the local natural history groups and recording schemes.

Tullie House Museum Events

Please Note: All Tullie House Museum events are advertised on their website

Your Green Place – 28th January – 17th April 2023

Come and explore Your Green PLACE, an insightful family-friendly exhibition in our Community Gallery that looks at how an innovative community project inspired a whole network across Cumbria to connect with nature, engage with the environment, and improve their own wellbeing while doing so.

The gallery features a collection of photos, videos and artwork from artists and several community groups.

It also showcases the learnings gained from the various activities and workshops that helped participants build an understanding of their local environment, its heritage and the legacy they’d like to leave.

This project is funded by the Governments Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its arms length bodies.

It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission. The project was led by Cumbria Development Education Centre (CDEC) and delivered in partnership with Playful Nature and the North Pennines AONB Partnership.

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 CentreThursday, June 25th, 2026 at 9:23pm
Day 2 of #CumbriaWildWatch

What will you see today? Tells us what animals, plants, fungi you spot to help build up a better understanding of what is found where in Cumbria...

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, June 24th, 2026 at 8:01pm
go!

#CumbriaWildWatch 2026 has started! Log your wildlife sightings to help us better understand Cumbrian biodiversity - especially during the #heatwave.

Find out how to take part:
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/cumbria-wild-watch/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, June 24th, 2026 at 6:25am
get ready....

#CumbriaWildWatch starts at midnight and runs to 28 June. Help us to better understand the wildlife of Cumbria by recording animals, plants and fungi in your local green space.

You can record on iNaturalist, iRecord, download a spreadsheet or submit an observation form. Find out more by searching for Cumbria Wild Watch.

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/recording-wildlife/share-your-records/cbdc-online-records-form/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreTuesday, June 23rd, 2026 at 5:44am
on your marks.....

#CumbriaWildWatch starts on 25 June. Log your wildlife sightings using #iNaturalist or #iRecord as we try to better understand biodiversity in this glorious county!

We have created an iNat project and iRecord activity which should automatically pick up any records created on either app but you might also want to join the project/activity to see how the Wild Watch is progressing.

https://irecord.org.uk/join/cumbria-wild-watch-2026
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/cumbria-wild-watch-2026
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, June 17th, 2026 at 5:24am
We love wildlife recording and want to share how simple but incredibly powerful recording is for nature recovery. We're working with @thelandtrust and the @greenangels programme to deliver a wildlife recording session in Whitehaven next week - perfect timing for #cumbriawildwatch. Come along to this free session to find out all you need to know to get recording!

https://greenangels.thelandtrust.org.uk/site/haig/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreTuesday, June 16th, 2026 at 5:23am
Cumbria Wild Watch is taking place at the end of this month, 25-28 June 2026. It is so easy to take part and do something great for nature.

Spread the word to friends, family, colleagues and students!

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