The world’s largest survey of butterflies runs from Friday 14th July – Sunday 6th August.
The Big Butterfly Count 2023 has begun!
Butterfly Conservation is calling on people across the UK to take part in this year’s Big Butterfly Count (14 July - 6 August) to help scientists understand the impact of climate change on our most-loved butterflies.
Last year’s record temperatures, heatwave and drought caused some of the plants that caterpillars feed on to wither and die. To help scientists discover what the ongoing impact of this extreme weather has been, the public are being asked to spend 15 minutes in any sunny spot and record the number and type of butterflies they see.
Butterflies are indicators of a healthy natural environment - with half of Britain’s butterfly species already threatened or near threatened with extinction, it’s never been more important to understand how our insects are responding to the changing climate and to take action to protect them.
Dr Zoë Randle, Senior Surveys Officer at Butterfly Conservation explains: “This is a vital year for the Big Butterfly Count. We know that the previous extreme summer droughts in 1976 and 1995 took a heavy toll on butterflies and numbers crashed the following year, taking almost a decade to recover. The data collected during this year’s Big Butterfly Count will give us a valuable insight into what the effect of the most recent extreme weather has been, and how we might be able to better protect our beautiful butterflies. With climate change here to stay, we need people to take part more than ever before.”
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Posted On: 14/07/2023