On 12 July, we launched Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count 2024! But despite lots of you getting out for the Count, we've had lots of reports coming in of people having seen no butterflies at all, and on average participants are seeing just over half the number of butterflies they were spotting this time last year, begging the question – where have all the butterflies gone?
Butterfly Conservation scientists believe that the unusually wet and windy spring, coupled with the colder than usual temperatures so far this summer could be contributing to the lack of butterflies. While the recent sunny weather has resulted in an uptick in the numbers of butterflies being spotted (and more could emerge if there is a prolonged sunny spell), numbers are currently the lowest recorded in the 14-year history of Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count.
Dr Dan Hoare, Director of Conservation at Butterfly Conservation believes that the weather isn’t the only thing to blame: “80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s, with habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use being the main drivers of this decline.
“People are telling us that they aren’t seeing butterflies, but simply telling us is not enough, we need everyone to record what they are or aren’t seeing by doing a Big Butterfly Count, as this will give us the evidence we need to take vital action to conserve our butterfly species.”
With only one weekend left of Big Butterfly Count 2024, we need you to get out into your outdoor spaces and local green areas and tell us which butterflies you spot. It only takes 15 minutes and, as Dan said, even if you spot no butterflies, we need you to record this in the app or on the website, as it helps provide us with important data that we can use to take action.
Already taken part but haven’t submitted your results? Head over to our website or add your sightings using our app.
A huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in this year’s Big Butterfly Count so far - we look forward to sharing the final results with you soon.
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