Butterfly Conservation

Many thanks to Jess A Little Creative for their donation from sales of butterfly cards in 2024. Your support means so much to us! Jess designs unique cards to help connect people with loved ones in a meaningful way. Visit https://jessalittlecreative.com/ for more information.

Butterfly Conservation is a UK charity dedicated to saving butterflies and moths. Every summer, our Big Butterfly Count – the biggest citizen science project of its kind in the world – collects data on butterfly numbers and locations to help assess the health of our environment.

Following a record low for butterflies this year, Butterfly Conservation has declared a Butterfly Emergency. Years of habitat destruction and fragmentation, climate breakdown and pesticide use have taken their toll. 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s. Help us take immediate action before it’s too late. https://butterfly-conservation.org/emergency 

The Big Butterfly Count is the annual UK-wide survey  that helps Butterfly Conservation assess the health of our environment simply by counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) you see.

Wet weather and low temperatures have meant very low numbers of butterflies have been recorded so far in the Big Butterfly Count. On average participants have seen just over half the number of butterflies they spotted this time last year.

The unusually wet and windy spring, coupled with the colder than usual temperatures so far this summer could be contributing to the lack of butterflies. While there is a chance of a later emergence of the insects if there is a prolonged sunny spell, numbers are currently the lowest recorded in the 14-year history of Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count.

Until 4^th August you can log your sightings and join the biggest citizen science event of its kind. Join in here: https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/