Big Butterfly Count

Today is the start of the Big Butterfly Count organised by Butterfly Conservation.

This year’s event, which runs from 17th July to 9th August 2020, was launched by the Vice-President of Butterfly Conservation, Chris Packham.

It is further endorsed by Sir David Attenborough, the President of Butterfly Conservation, Nick Baker, Vice-President of Butterfly Conservation, Alan Titchmarsh and Joanna Lumley.

The Big Butterfly Count is an annual nationwide citizen science survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world's biggest survey of butterflies. Over 113,500 citizen scientists took part in 2019, submitting 116,009 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK.

This time of year is chosen because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle and are therefore more likely to be seen. 

The UK-wide survey simply asks you to spend 15 minutes in an outdoor space counting the number and species of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) that you see. The ID and recording chart can be downloaded here with records submitted to Butterfly Conservation either via the website here or via the app here.

Butterflies are counted not only because they are beautiful creatures to see but because they are also extremely important. They are vital parts of the ecosystem as both pollinators and components of the food chain. However, they are under threat. Numbers of butterflies and moths in the UK have decreased significantly since the 1970s and over 75% of species are in decline. This is a warning that cannot be ignored.

Butterfly declines are also an early warning for other wildlife losses. Butterflies are key biodiversity indicators for scientists as they react very quickly to changes in their environment. Therefore, if their numbers are falling, then 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 enterprise is of great importance not just for our butterflies but for the wider environment and biodiversity in general.

The records from Big Butterfly Count will be used to map and measure populations and the geographic spread of species across the UK. This makes a real contribution to science and our understanding of butterfly and moth populations in the UK, a key indicator of the health of our environment, including the effects of climate change.

I will be submitting my butterfly records from my visits to my local patches during the recording period 17th July to 9th August 2020.

Photo: Marbled White at Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea, Essex

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Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature