TAKE ACTION: Citizen scientists needed to help make a difference

Running over the next couple of weeks The Big Butterfly Count 2025 is a simple UK-wide survey set up to help experts assess the health of our environment by counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some of the day-flying moths) we see in our local area or gardens.

Just 15 minutes and absolutely no expertise needed

Running this year from Friday 18th July and Sunday 10th August  2025 the Big Butterfly Hunt are looking for volunteers to be a part of this nationwide survey and help ‘take the pulse of nature’.

With Butterfly numbers declining as a result of the poor health of the environment they need your sightings.

As well as being important butterfly’s are beautiful creatures to be around. As vital parts of the ecosystem as both pollinators and components of the food chain, butterfly declines are also an early warning for other wildlife losses. If their numbers are falling, then nature is in trouble. So the Big Butterfly Count gathers critical information for the fight to conserve our natural world. That’s why taking part in this massive citizen science enterprise is of great importance not just for our butterflies but for the wider environment and biodiversity in general.

Get involved – 3 very simple steps

Step 1. Get ready
Download the official handy butterfly ID chart or free app for iOS and Android to identify and record the butterflies you spot.

Step 2. Join in
Absolutely anytime between FRIDAY 18TH JULY and SUNDAY 10th AUGUST choose a place to spot butterflies and moths. Watch for 15 minutes. Then record which numbers and types of species you see in step 3.

Step 3. Add your counts
Add your counts here on the Big Butterfly Count via the app or on the website and look at the amazing interactive map to see how the data you collect contributes to vital conservation science and research.

Capturing information on all sorts of butterfly’s from the more common Small White that we all know and love to the very rare High Brown Fritillary butterfly, more than 64,000 citizen scientists took part in 2024, submitting 96,257 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK –  so get involved and make a difference.