WARRINGTON Nature Conservation Forum (WNCF) have joined naturalist and TV personality Chris Packham in urging people to join in the Big Butterfly Count.
Nineteen butterflies are listed on the Butterfly Conservation web page – and most of them can be found near your own home.
WNCF spokesman Paul Speak said “This is a great annual event and just like the Garden Bird Count anyone can take part.
“All you need to do is to log onto the Butterfly Conservation web page and download a The Big Butterfly Count Chart containing 19 species of butterflies and count how many you see in a place in 15 minutes. The results can then be easily entered on your mobile or PC.”
Chris Packham, who is patron of Warrington’s Woolston Eyes where you can find most varieties, launched the Big Butterfly Count on TV. He said that over 100,000 people took part last year and recorded one million sightings across the UK.
He said “We need the raw data to learn more about the natural world and what is happening to butterflies – its good science.
“This is also a great opportunity to get people outdoors and help improve their mental health. We are proud to be doing this in association with MIND this year.”
WNCF chairman Geoff Settle said: “I’ve seen most of the butterflies on The Big Butterfly Count chart this year and all within five minutes’ walk of my house. One good place for me is standing on the “new” environmental bridge that crosses Spittle Brook. It was built as part of the environmental flood protection scheme for Cinnamon Brow and has fantastic view across the stream’s floodplain where there is a tremendous variety of wildflowers.
“In the early warm Spring weather, I spotted the following butterflies in the area: Brimstone, Ivy Blue, many Peacocks, Commas and loads of Orange Tips during the warmer months early in the year.
“Unfortunately, since then there has been a lot of rain which has put a dampener on the butterflies. They need the warmth of the sunshine to bring them out and it’s only recently that the Large and Small Whites have appeared flying high and fast and the Meadow Browns scurrying between the tall grasses.”
To find out more about the Big Butterfly Count and plants to grow in your garden go to https://butterfly-conservation.org/
Get involved in the “Big Butterfly Count”
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