People across the UK are being urged to take part in an annual butterfly count after nature experts declared an "emergency" last year due to record low numbers. The Big Butterfly Count, organised by wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, gets members of the public to spend 15 minutes recording the butterflies they see in their garden, park or countryside.
This year, the charity is urging people to take part in what it describes as a "nationwide rescue mission" for the UK's ailing butterfly species. The data helps scientists understand where butterflies are thriving, struggling or moving due to habitat loss or restoration.
Record low numbers spotted
Last year saw the lowest numbers spotted in the count's 14-year history, with a record number of counts logged as seeing no butterflies at all. Familiar species such as small whites, common blues and small tortoiseshells had their worst summer ever.
While 2024's lows were in part down to the wet spring and cool summer, and this year's warm sunny conditions are much better for butterflies, conservationists warn they come on top of long-term declines in the UK. More than 80 per cent of butterfly species have declined since the 1970s, with experts warning they have been hit by damage to their habitats, climate change and the use of pesticides.
Scientists seek public help
They say that taking part in the Big Butterfly Count can be a small action that contributes to the larger effort to save butterfly species and the natural systems they support. Dr Richard Fox, head of science at Butterfly Conservation, told the PA news agency: "Butterfly numbers fluctuate from year to year in response to the weather, and the warm, sunny conditions over recent weeks have been much better for butterflies than the wetter, cool conditions last year, which resulted in one of the worst years for UK butterflies on record."
He added: "How much butterflies have bounced back will only become clear if people get out, in their thousands, to take part in the Big Butterfly Count." Fox also warned that while "it's lovely" to see more butterflies around, one better summer would only go a little way to reversing the long-term declines, with numbers in peak years getting low and troughs when the weather is bad getting deeper.
Drought threatens caterpillars
"Also, although the recent sunshine is great for adult butterflies, the growing drought across many parts of Britain is bad news for their caterpillar offspring, which need growing plants to feed on," he added. He said the more information conservationists could gather on how butterflies respond to changes, including the weather, the better informed conservation decisions would be in the fight to protect wildlife.
"Ultimately, the more counts we get from all over the country, the better we are able to respond to the challenges, which certainly include extreme weather resulting from climate change," he said. To take part in the Big Butterfly Count, people can download the free app or visit www.bigbutterflycount.org, and between July 18 and August 10, spend 15 minutes in any outdoor space, counting the number and type of butterflies spotted, logging results on the website or app.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
