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 CentreTuesday, March 17th, 2026 at 4:53am
We have a great training session this Friday focusing on Priority Habitats - what they are and what you need to know to survey and potentially manage them. The weather is forecast to be good so why not join us to explore a range of different habitat types?

More information and to book: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-ecoskills/identifying-priority-habitats/e-dyymjm
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, March 12th, 2026 at 2:50am
There are two Cumbria Ecoskills courses next week focusing on understanding habitats and habitat surveying:
- Habitat Surveying (using UKHab) on 19 March at Loweswater
- Priority Habitats on 20 March at Threlkeld

Still places available if you would like to expand your habitat knowledge!

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-ecoskills
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreFriday, March 6th, 2026 at 7:40am
At last weekend's Cumbria Recorders' Conference, we were privileged to premiere a short film by University of Cumbria Wildlife Media students Victoria, Ryan, Jack and co to celebrate the role of volunteer wildlife recorders in Cumbria and our 15th anniversary. We hope you enjoy it!

https://vimeo.com/1171115443?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 7:28am
There is still time to register for tomorrow evening's webinar on #GIS #mapping using #QGIS!

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-ecoskills/introduction-to-mapping-using-qgis/e-rbxqoo
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, February 23rd, 2026 at 9:08am
There are still a couple of days to register for the Cumbria Recorders' Conference which takes place this Saturday!

https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/recorders-conference/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, February 18th, 2026 at 10:27pm
Rebecca Slack from CBDC will be speaking at the first Friends of the Ullswater Way evening talk for 2026 tonight from 7:30pm. More information here: https://www.ullswaterheritage.org/home