The big butterfly count is up and running for this year.  It was launched in 2010 and has become one of the world's biggest survey of butterflies.

It is a nationwide survey and is aimed at assessing the ‘health” of our environment, and that of butterfly populations.  Butterflies and moths are good indicators of biodiversity, and reflect changes in various environmental parameters.

In 2014, over 44,000 people took part; they counted some 560,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK (view the 2014 results).

To join in with big butterfly count 2015 this summer, all that you need to do is simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather during the big butterfly count (which runs from 17th July to 9th August); though sightings can be logged until the end of August.  Sightings from parks, school grounds and gardens, to fields, woodlands and forests are valuable – they all help to build a picture of butterfly (and moth) populations.

You can submit separate records for different dates at the same place, and for different places that you visit. Your count is useful even if you do not see any butterflies or moths!

There is very useful identification chart available to help you identify which butterflies you have seen.  You can send in your records online at www.bigbutterflycount.org or you can use the FREE big butterfly count smartphone apps (available for iOS and Android).