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.

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 sit under the Cumbria Naturalists Union, an umbrella organisation that publishes the county’s annual natural history report, ‘Birds and Wildlife in Cumbria’. 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.

Natural History Societies

Maryport natural history society

Website
http://www.senhousemuseum.co.uk/about-museum/museum-groups/


Carlisle Natural History society

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

Website
http://www.carlislenats.uk/

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


Arnside Natural History Society

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


Keswick Natural History Society

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


Ambleside Natural History Society

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

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

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

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


North Pennines AONB- This organisation covers several recording groups.

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 CentreThursday, December 7th, 2023 at 7:24am
We've been a bit quiet lately... So catch up with our latest news in our fresh-off-the-press newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/2290189d91a7/cbdc-newsletter-dec23

Why not sign up via our website to receive this regular news update about Cumbrian wildlife recording? Scroll to the bottom of the page to subscribe.
https://www.cbdc.org.uk/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, November 2nd, 2023 at 1:18am
Our latest newsletter is now out! In it, you'll find: Cumbria Recorders' Conference update and booking, taxon group review volunteers sought, and much more. Access it from our website: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/about-us/newsletters/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreSunday, October 15th, 2023 at 8:53pm
Hospice at Home needs your help in making wreaths. Any farmers, etc out there that would like a holly bush trimmed for free please see the link below.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=823064153160316&id=100063702169600
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreFriday, September 29th, 2023 at 10:21pm
Our latest newsletter has been published today! Thanks to all who contributed content and images, including this great image from Chris Arthur.
You can sign up to receive the monthly newsletter at our website or visit the newsletter page to view there: https://www.cbdc.org.uk/about-us/newsletters/
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, September 28th, 2023 at 11:12pm
Everyone can do something for nature and it need not take too much time. When you are out and about this weekend, record what nature you see (trees, other plants, birds, mammals, inverts, fungi), where and when - then send to your local records centre. For Cumbria - that's us!

#StateOfNature #MakingDataWorkForNature #RestoreNatureNow
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, September 18th, 2023 at 1:04am
Great to see the results of the #BigButterflyCount. Just from personal observation, there seem to have been lots of butterflies this year - including this week on this Hylotelephium!

A reminder that if you have news for the CBDC newsletter, please send in by 26th September and share across the Cumbria wildlife recording community.