A DORSET group has partly funded new research which suggests how counting butterflies can help reduce anxiety.
Leading wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is highlighting the positives of counting butterflies following new scientific research published in collaboration with the University of Derby.
The research was partly funded by through the Nature, Art and Wellbeing Community Fund from Dorset National Landscape, previously known as the Dorset Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB)
The is designed to increase adult engagement with nature, art and movement for wellbeing, as well as tackle inequalities and enable people to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of Dorset.
The pioneering study involved surveying people taking part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count in 2022.
The results demonstrate that briefly tuning into nature to count butterflies reduces anxiety by 9 per cent on average, while also enhancing mental wellbeing.
Researchers also found that spending just 15 minutes observing and counting butterflies boosted participants' feeling of connectedness with nature. Noticing butterflies more often was sustained over six to seven weeks after taking part.
How connected people feel to nature, known as nature connectedness, is directly correlated to how motivated they are to protect it. Therefore, the findings of this new study show that citizen science projects could play a vital role in nature’s recovery.
Dr Richard Fox, head of science at Lulworth-based Butterfly Conservation, said: “While we have long known that there is a link between nature and human wellbeing, this study is the first to prove that the simple act of looking for and counting butterflies leads to a measurable decrease in anxiety.
“The results suggest that citizen science projects such as the Big Butterfly Count can play a part in improving people’s mental health, as well as gathering important data on how butterflies are faring to inform our conservation work.”
Participants reported a range of positive and negative emotions, including joy, fascination, sadness, and concern; the latter driven by not seeing as many butterflies as they expected and fear over what is happening to our planet.
Dr Fox added: “In order to save wildlife and ensure nature’s recovery we need people to care, and we know that being connected to nature sparks these caring feelings and a desire to do something positive.
“This study indisputably shows that citizen science activities, such as spending just a few minutes counting butterflies, makes people feel more connected to nature – a vital step in the battle to save wildlife.
The Big Butterfly Count is Butterfly Conservation’s flagship citizen science activity, involving tens of thousands of participants across the UK spending 15 minutes in any sunny spot and recording the number and type of common butterflies and day-flying moths that they see.
This year’s Big Butterfly Count will take place from Friday, July 12 until Sunday, August 4.
For advice on creating a Wild Space for butterflies ready for the Big Butterfly Count, visit www.butterfly-conservation.org/wild-spaces
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