Take Part in a National Citizen Science Survey
The #BigButterflyCount is back, and everyone in our nature community is invited to join in. All you need is a quarter of an hour in any outdoor space and simply count the butterflies and day‑flying moths you see.
Your sightings feed into an interactive UK‑wide map, helping scientists understand how butterfly and moth populations are changing.
How to Get Started
Butterfly Conservation provides everything you need, including:
- A clear butterfly ID chart
- A free app to help identify and record your butterfly sightings
- Full instructions on how to take part
All resources are available at: https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org
Comma and Silver Wash Fritillary Butterfly
Peacock Butterfly
Small Copper butterfly
Why Your Count Matters
Since 2010, this nationwide project run by the Butterfly Conservation has helped track the rise and fall of butterfly numbers across the UK.
Butterflies are extremely important. They are vital parts of the ecosystem as both pollinators and components of the food chain. But they are under threat. Butterfly and moth populations in the UK have fallen significantly since the 1970s.
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. If their numbers are falling, then nature is in trouble. So, monitoring the number of butterflies is crucial in our fight to conserve our natural world.
A Simple Act That Helps Protect Nature
By taking part in this survey and simply counting the species and numbers of butterflies that you see, you can help the Butterfly Conservation to assess the health of our environment and highlight where action is needed most.
Every count, no matter how small, adds to the bigger picture.