Large Skipper (photo: Richard Barlow)

Join in the Big Butterfly Count   

The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and an impressive 10,000 people took part, counting 210,000 butterflies and day-flying moths across the nation. Many more people, nearly 27,000 in fact, joined Big Butterfly Count 2012 (see the 2012 results). This year's Big Butterfly Count is taking place from Saturday 20th July - Sunday 11th August 2013.

The survey is run by the charity Butterfly Conservation. To take part, simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather between now and 11th August. This is the time of year that most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, so more likely to be seen. This year's count is a week or so later than previous years because the very cold spring set most species back. Records are welcome from anywhere: from parks, school grounds and gardens, to fields and forests. Then submit your records online at the Big Butterfly Count website.

Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. Butterfly declines are an early warning for other wildlife losses. That's why counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature. The count will also assist in identifying trends in species that will help to plan how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife.

The results of this year's Big Butterfly Count will help to assess whether butterflies are recovering from the impact of last year's wet weather, which had a disastrous effect on our butterflies.

For more information on how to take part, see the Big Butterfly Count website.

Photo: Large Skipper (Richard Barlow)