EMBARGOED: 00.01am FRIDAY, JULY 12
Leading Dorset-based wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is calling on people across the UK to take part in this year’s Big Butterfly Count.
The project takes place from Friday, 12 July, until Sunday, August 4 and help scientists understand how climate change is moving butterflies.
Members of the public from Dorset and beyond are being asked to spend just 15 minutes in any sunny spot and record the number and types of butterflies they see over the summer.
The information gathered helps scientists to understand how butterflies and moths are faring, informs conservation projects, government policies and supports other experts with their research and vital work to protect our planet.
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After analysing 50 years of data, researchers have discovered a clear northward spread for many species, including common garden favourites the peacock, comma and holly blue, the result of climate change creating warmer habitats for them to survive in.
Dr Zoë Randle, senior surveys officer at Butterfly Conservation, said: “Thirty years ago you wouldn’t have seen a holly blue in Scotland, now it has expanded where it lives across the UK by 34 per cent, increasingly spreading northward.
"The red admiral, which was once a migratory species most commonly seen in southern England in the summer then leaving for Europe in the winter, is now living in the UK all year-round, resulting in a three-fold increase in its numbers.
“We’re also seeing other species which have previously suffered severe declines, such as the comma, recovering, with a huge increase of 94 per cent in where it is found. These highly adaptable species are all able to move into new places as the climate warms, but for habitat-specific species, these trends raise serious red flags.
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“Species that rely on particular habitats aren’t able to move as freely as our garden favourites. This means that if climate change continues, they could become trapped in isolated fragments of remaining habitat, unable to move and with their food plants at risk from adverse weather conditions, facing the very real threat of extinction.”
Butterfly Conservation vice president Chris Packham, who today launches this year’s Big Butterfly Count, added: “Butterflies are on the move, and there’s no doubt that climate breakdown is behind these geographic shifts.
“We know nature is running out of time, so we need to act now. We need you to get out for the Big Butterfly Count, let us know what you spot and where you spot it.
"You will be gathering the important data we need to see what the latest impacts are on our butterflies and moths, so that we can take the action needed to protect them.”
Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count is the largest citizen science project of its kind and is open to anyone, of any age, in any part of the UK - towns, cities or the countryside.
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Last year more than 135,000 counts took place, with participants spending a combined total of almost four years counting butterflies.
Dr Randle added: “In total, over 1.5 million butterflies and day-flying moths were recorded in last year’s Count, where the Red Admiral reigned supreme with almost 250,000 sightings. We’re wondering whether someone this year will be the first to spot a new species in their area, and what the results will show for our butterflies and moths across the UK.”
to take part simply visit www.bigbutterflycount.org or download the free Big Butterfly Count app.
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