Each year, Butterfly Conservation enlists members of the public to count butterflies and day-flying moths in UK gardens or other sunny spots for 15 minutes between July 16 and August 8.
PEOPLE are being asked to take part in the UK’s annual count of butterflies after fears they may have been impacted by poor weather in the spring. The Big Butterfly Count, which takes place over the next three weeks, is encouraging members of the public to spend 15 minutes outside counting the number and type of butterflies that they see. The charity running the scheme, Butterfly Conservation, said its records suggest that the cold and wet spring earlier in the year appear to have affected many species of butterfly - with particularly low numbers of speckled wood butterflies. Springwatch presenter and vice-president of Butterfly Conservation Chris Packham said taking part in the count could provide valuable research into the impact of climate change on wildlife.