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Get out and count

Turn the whole family into citizen scientists and join the Big Butterfly Count.

Published: 15/07/2022

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Families are being urged to stand up for nature and get outside this month to count the number of butterflies they see. The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide citizen science project that aims to capture a snapshot of how butterflies are faring. 

All you have to do is spend 15 minutes in a sunny spot outdoors counting and recording the number and type of butterflies and moths you glimpse, any time between July 15 and August 7. It’s great fun for kids of all ages, super simple to do (the garden works just fine) and is brilliantly educational too, helping foster awareness of nature and conservation. Download the free app for iOS and Android to identify and record the butterflies you spot. Or, visit Big Butterfly Count for a downloadable butterfly ID chart and upload your results there.

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Photo: Common Blue by Kasia Bukowska, ButterflyConservation

Time is running out

Butterfly Conservation launches this year’s Big Butterfly Count with a warning that time is running out to help save species.

Butterflies are a vital part of the ecosystem as both pollinators and as food for other wildlife. However, they are under threat – 76 per cent of butterflies have declined since 1976. Butterfly Conservation says that half of Britain’s remaining butterfly species are now on the Red List and threatened or near threatened with extinction. Last year’s Big Butterfly Count saw the lowest ever number of butterflies recorded. As butterflies and moths are an important indicator of the health of our environment, a reduction in their numbers is a cause for serious concern.

Butterfly declines are a warning for other wildlife losses. Butterflies are key biodiversity indicators for scientists as they react very quickly to changes in their environment. If numbers are falling, nature is in trouble. So tracking numbers of butterflies is crucial in the fight to conserve our natural world. That’s why taking part in this massive citizen science project is of great importance not just for our butterflies but for the wider environment and biodiversity in general.

The results of the Big Butterfly Count, along with other butterfly and moth survey work, also helps Butterfly Conservation and other organisations to identify where conservation action is needed most. The data helps us to identify important trends in species that assists us in planning how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife.

‘Watching butterflies for just 15 minutes can be a wonderful and calming experience'

Positive help 

Taking part in the Big Butterfly Count is one really positive way that everyone can help. The information gathered is vital in helping scientists understand more about what is happening to the nation’s butterflies and therefore put in place the conservation measures needed to protect them. In recent years Butterfly Conservation has helped save two species from extinction in the UK and halted the decline of many others. The charity has proved that with the right information and targeted action, species can be brought back from the brink, 

‘Thanks to the wonderful British public who take part in their thousands, the Big Butterfly Count is the largest natural history citizen science project involving insects in the world and provides us with a valuable snapshot of what is happening for butterflies across the whole of the UK,’ says Dr Zoe Randle, Senior Surveys Officer at Butterfly Conservation. ‘It can act as an early-warning system, letting us know how various environmental changes are impacting insects, and allows us to gather vital data from places that would otherwise be totally unrecorded.’

With the numbers of butterflies in decline, learning as much as possible about them is more important than ever. ‘We really need people’s help this year to help us figure out where our butterflies are and what we need to do to save them,’ adds Randle. ‘It’s not just the rare species of butterfly – the ones with restricted habitat or foodplants – that we are concerned about. Some of our previously commonly seen butterflies, like the Small Tortoiseshell, are also declining rapidly.’

The Small Tortoiseshell, which can be found all over the UK and was once a familiar species in gardens throughout the country, has declined by 79% since 1976. It’s one of the species included in the Big Butterfly Count, and Butterfly Conservation hope that data from citizen scientists will mean more can be understood about its fate.

Taking part in the Big Butterfly Count is not only good for butterflies – it’s good for humans too. Dr Amir Khan, Butterfly Conservation Ambassador, is one of a number of famous faces supporting the Big Butterfly Count. ‘Spending time in nature is hugely beneficial to our mental health,’ he says. ‘Just a short amount of time spent in the natural world can alleviate stress, and connecting with nature can help us feel happier and more energised. 

‘Watching butterflies for just 15 minutes can be a wonderful and calming experience. It is good for you as well as benefiting butterflies by helping Butterfly Conservation gather the important data they need to understand how to better protect these special insects,' he adds. 'It is truly a win-win situation for all of us.’

Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide survey open to everyone, of any age, living in towns, cities or the countryside. Taking part requires you to spend just 15 minutes in an outdoor space counting the amount and type of butterflies, and some day-flying moths, you see. It is easy to do and the more people who do it, the greater the benefits to our understanding of nature and how to help it.  

There were over 150,000 counts submitted to the Big Butterfly Count last year, more than ever before. Though worryingly, 2021 also saw the lowest average number of butterflies logged since the event began 13 years ago. More counts are undertaken and submitted year on year, but it seems there are fewer butterflies and moths to be seen.

 

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