Organised by the charity Butterfly Conservation, the 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.
More than 44,000 people took part in 2014, counting almost 560,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK. You can see the results here.
Sir David Attenborough, President of Butterfly Conservation; Alan Titchmarsh MBE; Mike Dilger and Nick Baker,Vice Presidents of Butterfly Conservation; and the actress Joanna Lumley OBE have given their enthusiastic backing to the project and will support its launch and operation.
How to…
- Download the handy identification chart to help you work out which butterflies you have seen.
- Find a sunny spot, sit down for 15 minutes and count how many of each type you see.
- You can send in your sightings online at www.bigbutterflycount.org or by using the FREE big butterfly count smartphone apps available for iOS and Android.
- The website will be open to receive records throughout July and August.