If you were tuned into Radio4 on Wednesday morning, you would’ve heard Sir David Attenborough, president of Butterfly Conservation, taking about the forthcoming Big Butterfly Count.
The initiative was launched last year when a whopping 10,000 people took part to help count 210,000 butterflies.
The idea is to sit out in the garden or park between 16th to 31st July (this Saturday being the launch date) and for 15 minutes count as many butterflies as you can. If you can record the species too, all the better.
Vital information
Butterflies are great biodiversity indicators, so keeping track of the numbers and varieties is a great way for scientists to understand how the butterfly population is being affected by environmental changes.
It’s really simple to take part. Just pop over to the Big Butterfly Count website, print out the guide (PDF) to help you identify butterflies on the day.
After you’ve finished spotting, go back to the Big Butterfly Count website and add your results.
Not only will be you helping out with the project, but you’ll have the pleasure of getting of the hamster wheel for 15 minutes and enjoying the beauty of wildlife.
