Thinking about taking part in the Big Butterfly Count? Here are 6 reasons why you should:
1. Spend quality time with loved ones
Getting outdoors with a fun but short goal can be a wholesome activity for you and your loved ones. If you have a young family, why not let the little ones get some energy out whilst at the park?
Likewise, grabbing a coffee with a friend, going for a stroll and exploring a green space can be a great way to reconnect and achieve a small target together. It may sound simple but small acts like these can bond us as people, so if there is someone out there you’ve lost contact with recently why not invite them to go on a Big Butterfly Count with you?
2. Learn something new
There’s no time like the present, and diving into our app or using our website to identify different species can be your daily dose of knowledge to keep that brain of yours happy! Our website also holds a whole host of information on the different butterflies and moths that can be seen. Likewise, we’ve published other blogs such as these 10 fun facts about the species featured in our ID checklists – some might surprise you!
Sneaky peak: Did you know that every year the Painted Lady makes the long-distance journey from the fringes of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia all the way to mainland Europe and on to the UK?
3. Contribute to citizen science (and fight climate change)
Citizen Science is when everyday people, who haven’t been trained as scientists, go out and conduct research. This could be anything from taking part in experiments to collecting samples.
Butterfly Conservation relies on citizen science every year through the Big Butterfly Count, where the whole project is reliant on getting people outside and counting butterflies and day-flying moths. The great thing about this is you don’t need to know the first thing about different species. All you need is to set aside 15 minutes of your time to look around a green space and see if you spot any of our beautiful creatures and to log this in our app or website.
4. Being outside is good for your health and wellbeing
It’s well known that getting outdoors in the fresh air is good for your health and wellbeing. Whether it’s going for a walk and incorporating some form of exercise, or just sitting in a park and embracing the nature around you, it can have a whole range of positive effects. The mental health charity Mind has stated spending time in a green space can improve moods, reduce stress, reduce loneliness, and even improve your confidence and self-esteem.
5. Because butterflies and moths are important
There aren’t many people that believe butterflies aren’t one of the most beautiful creatures we have on earth. They bring great joy to many people across the UK and are often used as a symbol for the regenerative and transformative nature of our planet and ecosystem.
Not only do they have an aesthetic value, but they contribute greatly to our own education, scientific understanding, ecosystem awareness, health and food production. Through their fascinating life cycles, for example, lessons are taught across the globe teaching children about the wonders of the natural world and enticing the next generations of conservationists. Meanwhile, without butterflies and moths, our ecosystem would collapse as they are indicators of healthy environments and act as important elements within the food chain, as our President Sir Richard Attenborough has referred to them: “Like canaries in the coalmine, butterflies can give us warnings of environmental dangers.”
Above all, however, is the fact that they have an intrinsic value as part of nature. As humans, we have created an earth that serves us at the expense of many creatures, the butterfly being one of these, so it’s up to us to ensure their survival as they are beings deserving of life in their own right.
6. They’re disappearing fast…
Butterflies and moths have been recognised by the UK Government as an indicator of biodiversity - this means that their fragility means they react quickly to changes in the environment, such as global warming, and this acts as a clear alert to us humans that something might be wrong. However, 76% of the UK's resident and regular migrant butterflies have declined in abundance and now half of all UK butterflies are on the Red List which means they are in danger of extinction.
By taking part in the Big Butterfly Count you will help us to gain a much clearer idea about where certain species are, and we can track their movements and population densities to understand their health and that of our environment. From this data, scientists will be able to make decisions about how best to intervene and help conserve butterflies so that they can be saved from extinction and the cycle of our ecosystem can continue. To read more in-depth into the value of butterflies and moths please read here.
So please Get Out For the Count this year - we need everyone’s help to continue to save these wonderful creatures.