The Big Butterfly Count is on! Take part in Butterfly Conservation’s UK-wide survey and help assess the health of our environment simply by counting butterflies. 

Download Butterfly Conservation’s handy butterfly ID chart or free app for iOS and Android to identify and record the butterflies you spot. Choose a place to spot butterflies and moths and watch for 15 minutes. Then record which species you see and upload your records – you can do this via the app or the website.

Butterflies are vital parts of the ecosystem as both pollinators and components of the food chain. However, they are under threat: numbers of butterflies and moths in the UK have decreased significantly since the 1970s, according to Butterfly Conservation. 

Butterflies are key biodiversity indicators as they react very quickly to changes in their environment. Tracking numbers of butterflies provides valuable information for nature conservation – that’s why taking part in this massive citizen science enterprise is of great importance. The Big Butterfly Count runs from 17th July to the 9th of August and you will be able to submit records throughout July and August.

At Barnes Common, we have our own volunteer-led weekly butterfly transects. Led by Karen Goldie-Morrison, former Chair and Trustee of Butterfly Conservation, our group of volunteers have been surveying butterflies over a 30-week period each year for the past ten years. If you’d like to find out more about their work, and perhaps join them, read this post by Karen.

Published on 16 July 2026