Our local butterflies really need you

Have you noticed the lack of butterflies around Overton?

Last summer, Britain’s butterflies sent an urgent SOS through Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count.

This year, the Butterfly Conservation charity are not just launching a survey — they’re launching a nationwide rescue mission, and they need everyone in Overton to get involved.

On this morning’s Overton Radio breakfast show, David Harber spoke to Leanna Fernandez and Anthony McCluskey from the charity about the importance of butterflies in the UK.

The wildlife charity declared a Butterfly Emergency after results revealed a marked and deeply concerning decline in butterfly numbers, which were the lowest in the Count’s history.

The 2024 figures followed a pattern of long-term decline as butterflies struggle against a backdrop of habitat degradation, climate breakdown and pesticide use.

🧪 No lab coats. No science degrees. Just 15 minutes of your time.

Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count 2025 begins today, Friday 18 July, and they’re calling on thousands of everyday heroes, from schoolkids to grandparents, dog walkers, hikers, even office workers on their lunch break, to take part.

Worryingly, 80% of butterflies have declined since the 1970s. These delicate icons of summer respond quickly to environmental change, making their decline a powerful warning sign of a planet in peril.

The good news? There is hope. With just 15 minutes of your time, you can help protect UK butterfly species for future generations.

🕵️ The mission?

Spend 15 minutes in any outdoor space and count the butterflies and day-flying moths you see and submit your sightings to help build our interactive map.

That’s it. One small action that contributes to a much bigger effort to help save butterfly species and the ecosystems they support.

“This is a chance to turn curiosity into conservation and make a real contribution to protecting butterflies in the UK for generations to come,” says Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation.

“Butterflies are beautiful, yes — but they’re also incredibly important bioindicators. This means that as they continue to disappear, as they have over recent decades, it indicates something is going seriously wrong in our natural world. We need to heed that warning and take action before it’s too late.

“If we lose butterflies, we lose more than beauty — we lose balance in our ecosystems and that will have serious repercussions for wildlife in the UK. Taking part in the Big Butterfly Count only takes 15 minutes and it’s something everybody can do. If you do one thing for nature this year, get out for the Count this summer! – Every count really does make a difference.”

Whether you see a Red Admiral, a Common Blue, or an entire kaleidoscope of Meadow Browns, your sightings provide vital data that help scientists understand where butterflies are thriving, struggling, or shifting due to habitat loss or restoration.

And by taking part, you’re doing more than logging data — you’re standing up for nature. Your observations will help create a live map of UK biodiversity, visible in real-time through the Big Butterfly Count website and free app.

🌍 Why It Matters

With over 80% of UK butterfly species in decline, every single sighting counts.
Butterflies are early warning signs of environmental collapse — when they struggle, so do birds, bees, and entire ecosystems.

Together, we can reverse the trend by learning where and why butterflies are struggling and taking action to save them.

💭 What’s the problem?

Butterflies are struggling because their habitat is being destroyed and the climate they thrive in is changing and becoming more unpredictable. 

Populations may also be declining as a result of pesticide use, both commercially and in gardens. Even insecticides and pesticides labelled “pollinator friendly” can harm butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Employing more nature friendly gardening methods, such as companion planting and allowing wild spaces to flourish within our gardens are two of the best ways to help butterflies thrive at home.

✅ How to Take Part

1. Download the free Big Butterfly Count app or visit www.bigbutterflycount.org
2. Between 18 July and 10 August, spend 15 minutes in any outdoor space and count the number and type of butterflies you see
3. Log your sightings on the website or app and help protect UK wildlife for future generations

This summer, step outside, slow down, and reconnect with the natural world on your doorstep.

Become a citizen scientist. Be part of the comeback. Help bring butterflies and wild spaces across the UK back to life.