The Big Butterfly Count 2011 takes place from 16th July – 7th August and we are taking part
Fifteen minutes peace and quiet, with children sat as still as mice trying to spot butterflies, its fantastic!
Wonder if I could convince them that the rest of August is the big bumblebee count…or moles…or dragonflies, anything that will keep them quiet for fifteen minutes has my vote!
Our garden is covered in Buddleias, or Butterfly Bushes and you can see why it gets that name, so far we have had Red Admirals, Peacocks, Speckled Wood, Large Whites and Gatekeepers.
Its a wonderful project to keep track of the Butterflies in Britain but also teaches my children about the various types of Butterfly.
If you haven’t sat and looked for Butterflies, you check out what the Big Butterfly Count is all about here
I guarantee the peace and tranquillity for fifteen minutes is heavenly xxx
If you and your family would like to take part but are unsure what it involves, check out this great video.
The big butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies. Over 60,000 people took part in 2017, submitting 62,500 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK.
Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. Butterfly declines are an early warning for other wildlife losses.
That’s why counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature.
The count will also assist us in identifying trends in species that will help us plan how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife.
