Small Gardens

The Government has issued a red weather warning to alrert everyone about the extreme sun heading our way this July. While plenty of us wish to enjoy the heatwave, it’s important that we look after ourselves and each other. If you’re out doing your Big Butterfly Count, here are some things to remember in order to stay safe.

Don’t be shy of the shade

Butterflies, in this extreme heat, enjoy retreating to the shade – and you should too. Resting in shaded areas, whether it’s as part of a building, trees, or just staying inside, will make sure we don’t overheat and become ill. Butterflies set the example here, as they flutter around in the cooler part of the day in the morning and evening and take shelter as the temperature increases. 


Slather on the sun cream

Due to the extremity of the weather, it’s been advised that everyone stays indoors during the hottest parts of the day (11 and 3pm). If it’s vital for you to be outside, it’s incredibly important you wear suncream to protect yourself from skin cancer. For anyone that is wishing to enjoy the rays and get a tan, using oil as an alternative to suncream is greatly unadvised as the Sun Protection Factor (or SPF) can be inconsistent and not protect you properly. While lots of us know this, a tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet B radiation (UVB), so please do make sure you wear plenty of sun cream.

It is also recommended we top this up multiple times throughout the day and is applied on the face, (including eyelids- don’t forget those!) ears, and neck. 

The NHS website has further advice on which sunscreen factor to use and about the different star ratings of suncream. It might be wise to just go straight for the factor 50 this year! 

Hats galore

Hats, and other protective clothing such as long-sleeved tops and shirts as well as trousers or longer skirts, are your friends in excessive heat! Flowy-type clothes will be more comfortable but if you don’t have these it’s still important to not leave skin exposed to the sun in case of burning. 

Hats will protect the top of your head and help you avoid heat stroke and generally overheating. Plus, they can be a rather groovy accessory, so the likelihood is that you’ll be looking fresh and fashionable as well. 

Also, wearing sunglasses won’t only mean you don’t have to squint everywhere, but your eyes are protected from the sun so they can stay healthy for spotting all the species in the Big Butterfly Count!

Hydration is key

Get that water down you! It’s no secret that we all need the right amount of fluids in our bodies in order to be healthy. The European Food Safety Authority advises we drink between 1.6 and 2 liters of water a day. If you feel like you’re more tired than usual or finding it hard to concentrate, this could be because you haven’t had enough water to drink.

If you or those in your family aren’t a fan of water there are also a number of foods that have a high water content that you can use to refresh yourself with a crunch. Watermelon, for example, is a succulently sweet treat that you can make into chunks, drinks, or even ice lollies. Meanwhile, vegetables like Cucumber also have high water content so if you manage to get the more picky drinkers among you to have a quick snack on this it could leave them feeling much better. 


Remember climate change is causing extreme weather events all over the globe

A lot of the extreme weather as a result of global warming has been seen rather far away from the UK. We have been able to stay comfortably distanced from the melting ice-caps or Australia’s bush fires. But this is on our doorstep now. This could be a good time for us all to realise the contribution of humans and the impact this is having on our ecosystems.

Butterflies, as well, are at huge risk from global warming and research has already shown 25% of the butterfly species in the UK are leaving the hotter South to go up North – a huge shift in the population. However, many species are not able to match the fast pace of climate change the damage done to their habitats is increasingly fragmented. 

To learn more about global warming we recommend the following resources: