Local Recording Groups

Whether your passion lies with mosses or moths, there are formal and informal groups and societies that can help you learn more about the fascinating wildlife in Cumbria, as well as how to identify and record it. Local groups are a great way of learning more about wildlife!

Featured below is a selection of popular groups we work with in Cumbria. If you’re looking for something specific but struggling to find it, then feel free to contact us and we’ll give you a hand.

Many local groups contribute to the county’s annual natural history report, ‘Birds and Wildlife in Cumbria’ which is published by Cumbria Bird Club. CBDC supports ‘Birds and Wildlife in Cumbria’ by providing data to the authors of the publication’s various reports. Copies of the report are available from the Tullie House shop or from Cumbria Bird Club.

You’re always welcome to send records of any and all species to us directly, via our ‘Submit A Record’ page. If you send a record to anywhere else as well as CBDC, then please let us know so we can manage duplicate records.

If you know of a group or help run a group that isn’t featured on these pages or would like to update the information herein, please get in touch with us!

Natural History Societies

Ambleside Natural History Society

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/AmblesideNaturalHistorySociety/

Website
http://anhs.org.uk/wp/

Arnside Natural History Society

Website
http://www.arnsideanddistrictnhs.co.uk/

Carlisle Natural History Society

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/CarlisleNats/

Website
http://www.carlislenats.uk/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/CarlisleNats?lang=en-gb

Grange and District Natural History Society

Website

https://grangenats.uk/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/417932919289474


Keswick Natural History Society

Website 
http://www.keswicknathist.co.uk/

The 2024/5 Meeting programme is HERE.

Local Groups

Cumberland Bat Group

Website
https://www.bats.org.uk/support-bats/bat-groups/north-west-england

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/cumberlandbatgroup/


South Cumberland Bat Group

Website
https://cumbriabats.wordpress.com/


Cumbria Amphibian and Reptile Group

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/589703024785031/


Cumbria Bird Club

Website
https://www.cumbriabirdclub.org.uk/


Cumbria Birding Group

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cumbriabirding/


Cumbria Insects and Invertebrates

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/948454538863929/


Cumbria Mammal Society

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/MammalSociety/


Cumbria Moth Group

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1484989568463053/


Cumbria Botany

Website
http://www.cumbriabotany.co.uk/

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CumbriaBotanyGroup/


Cumbria Lichens and Cumbria Bryophytes

Website
https://cumbrialichensbryophytes.org.uk/

Facebook Lichen Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cumbrialichens

Facebook Bryophyte Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cumbriabryophytes


Cumbria Fungi Group

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/336722100236838/


Cumbria Geoconservation

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1900093153583144/

Website
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/cumbria_geoconservation


Cumberland Geological Society

Website
http://www.cumberland-geol-soc.org.uk/events/


Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/cumbriawildlifetrust/

Website
https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/cumbriawildlife?lang=en-gb


National Biodiversity Network – National Landscapes – 

Website
http://www.northpennines.org.uk/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/NorthPennAONB

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/NorthPenninesAONB/

Country-Wide Organisations

BSBI

Website
https://bsbi.org/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BSBI2011/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/BSBIbotany


British Trust for Ornithology

Website
https://www.bto.org/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/The.BTO/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/_BTO?lang=en-gb


British Bryological Society

Website
http://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/britishmoss


British Lichen Society

Website
https://www.britishlichensociety.org.uk/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BLSlichensF/


Moth Records

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RecordingMoths/


Butterfly conservation

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/savebutterflies/

Website
https://butterfly-conservation.org/


The British Mycological Society

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/18843741618/

Website
https://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/


The Fungus Conservation Trust

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Fungus-Conservation-Trust-formerly-ABFG-194924697239188/

Website
http://www.abfg.org/


Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

Website
https://www.arc-trust.org/Pages/Contact.aspx

Twitter
https://twitter.com/ARC_Bytes


Plantlife

Website
http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk

Twitter
https://twitter.com/Love_plants

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/LovePlantlife/


Field Studies Council

Website
https://www.field-studies-council.org/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/FieldStudiesC

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/FieldStudiesC/


Biological Records Center

Website
http://www.brc.ac.uk/home

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 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)....
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, October 8th, 2025 at 5:49am
We're looking forward to the recording day at #WatchtreeNatureReserve tomorrow! Hope you can join us sometime between 10am and 3pm to record all wildlife at this fantastic site. See you there....
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreTuesday, October 7th, 2025 at 4:39am
So pleased to see not one, not two but three amazing Cumbrian recorders being short-listed for the upcoming NBN Awards for Wildlife Recording!

https://nbn.org.uk/news/2025-shortlist-announced-nbn-awards-for-wildlife-recording/

#NBNAwards #WildlifeRecording #Cumbria
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, October 2nd, 2025 at 6:22am
Our latest newsletter has just been sent to all our subscribers. Not received it? View it online from our website!
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/about-us/newsletters/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreTuesday, September 16th, 2025 at 11:47pm
The last CBDC recording day of 2025 takes place on Thursday 9th October @WatchtreeNatureReserve near Carlisle. CBDC will be on site 10am-4pm so please do come along to take part in wildlife recording. Whether you are new to recording wildlife or very experienced, you will be very welcome!

We'll start the session with an introduction to Watchtree. At 2pm, there is a wildlife recording workshop and walk - please book this via the Watchtree website. Otherwise, do drop by to have a go.

More information here: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/get-involved/recording-days/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreTuesday, September 2nd, 2025 at 5:01am
There are still places on the upcoming session "Creating Self-Guided Walks" at Orton Market Hall on 14th September (morning only). If you are interested in how to create such walks - for websites, blogs, for local community groups, for visitors - do come along. Open to all - land managers, farmers, community groups, individuals.

See you there!

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-ecoskills

#biodiversity #walking #access #walkinginnature #wildliferecording
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
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