Citizen Scientists across the UK demonstrate that “Bugs Matter” this summer - Kent Wildlife Trust
The end of the school summer holidays saw the conclusion of this year’s national insect survey, Bugs Matter, on 31 August.
Led by conservation charities Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife, the annual call to collaborate with citizen scientists across the UK generates crucial data regarding how national insect numbers are faring. Bugs Matter, based on the “windscreen phenomenon”, is one of the UK’s few long-term citizen science surveys of flying insect abundance, generating important data.
Participation in this year’s Bugs Matter was once again outstanding, with citizen scientists collecting data over a staggering 198,476 miles of journeys across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
A total of 691 participants logged an impressive 6,538 journeys via the Bugs Matter app; this compares to a total of 5,386 journeys in 2022.
England saw the greatest number of journeys being completed (5,338 journeys), followed by Wales (612 journeys), Scotland (471 journeys) and Northern Ireland (106 journeys).
In 2023, participants recorded an average of 9 journeys each, ranging from short commutes to long-distance road trips. The science team are pleased that journeys of all different lengths have been recorded. Both short and long journeys are valuable for understanding what is happening to insects at a national scale, but shorter journeys are particularly useful for understanding insect numbers at local scales such as within counties.
During 2023 a new Bugs Matter citizen scientist recorded an impressive 203 journeys, contributing valuable data to the survey. Participants in England continue to complete and record the greatest number of journeys, particularly in the South East (1523 journeys), East Anglia (1159 journeys) and the South West (706 journeys).
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Posted On: 06/09/2023