For my UK followers: the 2026 Big Butterfly Count is well underway - this year you can take part until August 9th.
To participate, you need to find a sunny spot, watch for 15 minutes and count how many of each species you see. You can do a count from any urban or suburban area, but ideal places to watch are gardens, parks, fields, rivers, hedges, woodland or moorland.
There are 21 species (butterflies and day-flying moths) included in the count:
It also includes the Scotch Argus (not pictured here) which is found mostly in Scotland!
You can record your counts on the butterfly conservation website or app.
It’s a super easy and enriching way to take part in citizen science and record the changes in biodiversity in your area. You can do as many 15 minute counts as you like, and all data is good data, so you should submit your count whether you see eight species or none at all.