Help biodiversity this year by taking part in the first-ever Cumbria Wild Watch.
Cumbria Wild Watch has been developed by Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre as part of the PLACE (Paths to Leadership: Active Community Engagement) project led by Cumbria Development Education Centre and partners Another Way, Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS), and Lakeland Arts.
Between 27-30 June 2024, spend an hour anywhere in Cumbria recording the wildlife you can see – from plants and trees to moss, insects, fish, birds, and mammals. Then submit your observations to help researchers, landowners, planners, farmers, conservationists, naturalists, developers and others to make the best decisions to support biodiversity in Cumbria.
All plants can be recorded: many are cultivated and so are not ‘wild’ but having an understanding of what is growing where can be incredibly useful from a global perspective (for instance, the UK potentially has more giant redwood trees than in their native forests in California). We want you to record as much as possible and not just rare or unusual species.
You can record what you see with pen and paper but will need to submit your records electronically. If you have a smart phone or tablet, you can easily record what you see and submit to Cumbria Wild Watch immediately! If you download the free iNaturalist app, available from all app stores, then create an account, you can get recording straight away.
Head over to the Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre webpage for more information about taking part in Cumbria Wild Watch. The page includes links to various resources including guidance on how to use iNaturalist, sign up to the Cumbria Wild Watch mailing list and other useful information. You can also sign-up to join a free webinar on Thursday 6th June to find out more about Cumbria Wild Watch and how to take part. So go ahead and get involved!
