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, October 1st, 2026 at 1:23am
Over the next month, you might see more ladybirds coming indoors - especially if you live in more urban areas of Cumbria like Carlisle and Kendal. While native ladybirds will over-winter in garden sheds, leaf litter and crevices in woody plants or fences, the non-native Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) is looking for somewhere a little warmer to spend the winter diapause and will enter houses to congregate in corners. These ladybirds are originally from Asia so need drier and warmer conditions than the native species.

The Harlequin is very variable - hence the name. The two examples shown here were collected at the same time in the same place! Some colour patterns can look very similar to the native species but generally Harlequins have brown legs and undersides while native species tend to have black legs/underside. Harlequins tend to be quite large too compared to the more variable sizes seen in the 45+ native species.

Over-wintering ladybirds won't do any damage and shouldn't pose a problem wherever you find them. But if you do find some in your home and they have brown legs, you can be confident that they are the Harlequin. Do record any ladybirds that you see so we can better understand the key locations of Harlequins across Cumbria and how they might be interacting with the natives.

And if you want to see a plentiful number of Harlequins this month, Mayor's Drive near Bitts Park in Carlisle is usually a good spot.
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, September 23rd, 2026 at 4:57am
Cumbria has over 1500 County Wildlife Sites, many on private land. We are working with @CumbriaWildlifeTrust to provide free surveys of these sites so we can understand their condition and help guide landowners to find management advice and support.

Find out more about County Wildlife Sites in general and across Cumbria using these resources - and contact the Cumbria County Wildlife Sites Project if you think you have a site and would welcome a survey.

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/county-wildlife-sites
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-sites-and-nature-conservation/local-sites-and-nature-conservation
Or the LWS Hub: https://www.localwildlifesites.org/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, September 16th, 2026 at 1:12am
As well as the excellent Plantlife resources and Waxcap Watch, CBDC has two upcoming waxcap training sessions - Thursday 8th October and Sunday 1st November. We're finalising details but do let us know if you would like more information/have priority booking by completing our expressions of interest form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5JQ99XCSMMIyUX641NL8EqGz6gXH4C2hItqp9EFL-iFXhKw/viewform?usp=publish-editor
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, September 14th, 2026 at 5:51am
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.
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreFriday, September 11th, 2026 at 12:56am
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.
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, September 9th, 2026 at 1:06am
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.
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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