Help Butterfly Conservation by joining the anual big count

How many butterflies can you spot in your garden or in local parks?

Butterfly Conversation is asking everybody to take part in their 2015 Big Butterfly Count, and annual nationwide survey, reliant on sightings submitted by the public, which allows Butterfly Conservation to assess the overall health of our environment.

The results from the count will help Butterfly Conservation to protect butterfly species from extinction, but will also help better understand the overall effects of climate change on wildlife.

To take part, residents should spend 15 minutes, preferably on a bright sunny day, and count as many butterflies and day-flying moths as possible. Sightings could range from the glamourous large species like red admiral and painted lady butterflies, to the quirky large skipper with its characteristic x-wing resting position, or the plain-looking silvery moth.

Identification charts can be downloaded from the Big Butterfly Count website, or you can download an app for your smartphone.

Last year, more than 44,000 people took part, counting almost 560,000 butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK.

The count runs from now until Sunday 9 August.

August 3, 2015