Butterfly watch kicks off around the country
Time is running out to save some of the UK's best loved species
Last updated 15th Jul 2022
The Butterfly Watch is getting underway across the country today.
Among the areas taking part are Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bucks, Beds, Herts and Stamford and Rutland.
Earlier this year the wildlife charity, Butterfly Conservation, revealed that half of Britain’s remaining butterfly species are now on the Red List and are threatened or near threatened with extinction.
Even some species not yet listed as threatened on the Red List are suffering great declines.
For example, the Small Tortoiseshell, once a familiar sight in gardens throughout the country, has declined by 79% since 1976.
The Butterfly watch is important as monitoring butterfly's can help evaluate the local ecosystem and other insects with the charity saying "a reduction in their numbers is a cause for serious concern."
It encourages people to stand outside for 15 minutes and count how many butterfly's and day-flying moths they see.
Last year’s Count – in which the public is asked to spend 15 minutes recording the number of butterflies and day-flying moths – saw the lowest level of sightings of butterflies and moths since the first count in 2009.
The data submitted by everyone is analysed by scientists, allowing them to better execute conservation efforts.
In recent years Butterfly Conservation has helped to save two species from extinction in the UK and halted the decline of many others, proving that with the right information and targeted action, species can be brought back from the brink.
However, rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events are having an effect on butterflies.
The Count reveals that some species could be moving further north as the south warms, but some species whose populations are reducing seem to be less able to colonise new areas.
Butterfly Conservation’s Ambassador, Dr Amir Khan, is encouraging us all to take part in the Count.
He believes taking part in the Big Butterfly Count is beneficial to our wellbeing: "Just a short amount of time spent in the natural world can alleviate stress and connecting with nature can help us all feel happier and more energised."
Butterfly perched on a flower
Butterfly perched on a flower
We spoke to Sharon Hearle the regional manager for butterfly conservation in the East of England. She told us what we can do to help the butterfly's and day flying months.
"This butterfly and many other butterflies need more flowers, more habitat and more space in our environment to to thrive."
She told us some good examples of what she had seen which can help: "I've seen people's gardens, where they're letting some of their lawns grow up.
"I've seen people planting loads of flowers, road verges, that are being allowed to flower for longer.
"Some fantastic arable margins on on farmland, which are a real refuge for for our butterflies and moths."
Sharon also told us how important it is for these insects to have access to shelter in this hot weather: "Butterflies will find this very hot weather, 30 degrees, difficult and they will retreat in that hot weather. "Nectar starts to dry up and they don't want to damage their wings so they will hide.
"They will hide in long grass and and wait.
"That's why You'll see that butterflies are more active in the morning.
"One of the worries of the hot weather is going to be for the for the Caterpillar stage. If they're, the ones that were flying in the spring and now caterpillars and their food plant drying up in in all the heat."
Sharon, also told us about the impact of a declining amount of butterfly's: "Butterflies, either as an adult or as a Caterpillar, or even as a pupa. They're all food.
"They're food for bats, for for birds, for small mammals and that obviously would be the impact if their numbers plummet.
"And other insects along with them go down, then clearly the next layer of the food chain gets hit as well."