Big Butterfly Count 2022: Public urged to join butterfly count to help action to save species

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Thanks to the wonderful British public, who take part in their thousands, the Big Butterfly Count is the largest natural history citizen science project involving insects in the world and provides us with a valuable snapshot of what is happening for butterflies across the whole of the UK Dr Zoe Randle, Butterfly Conservation The yearly Big Butterfly Count can act as an “early warning system”, helping scientists understand how environmental changes are affecting insects, and gather data from areas that would otherwise be unrecorded, experts said. Last year people submitted 150,000 sets of results to the Big Butterfly Count, more than ever before, but it also saw the lowest average number of butterflies logged since the scheme began 13 years ago. Dr Zoe Randle, senior surveys officer at Butterfly Conservation, said: “Thanks to the wonderful British public, who take part in their thousands, the Big Butterfly Count is the largest natural history citizen science project involving insects in the world and provides us with a valuable snapshot of what is happening for butterflies across the whole of the UK. This year’s count runs from July 15 to August 7 and people can find out more and take part by visiting https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/or downloading the free Big Butterfly Count app.