British NGO sounds the alarm over the decline of butterflies and pollinators

Wildlife lovers across the UK are being encouraged to take part in a Big Butterfly Count this summer. It’s the world’s largest survey of butterflies, and lasts for just over two weeks until August 6th.

Amy Walkden, Volunteer for Butterfly Conservation said "Having a yearly record of what is around and what is not around I think is a really good scientific data to indicate changes like global warming, habitat destruction, Butterflies are sensitive indicators of what's going on. So it's really important." 

Data provided by volunteers in their gardens or on walks is used by the charity Butterfly Conservation, which has noted a significant decline in numbers in recent decades.

Richard Fox, Scientific Director, Butterfly Conservation said "The major causes of the decline are what we humans have done to the landscape in the UK over the past 50, 60, 70 years. And so that's things like the intensification of agriculture, which is not just chemicals that going to that - pesticides and fertilisers - but also changes to the landscape. So removing hedgerows, maximising the space for growing crops, and pushing nature out of farmland." 

The UK government now includes butterfly numbers as an official indicator of biodiversity. The hope is that with proper monitoring and efforts to protect threatened species, the decline in butterfly numbers could begin to reverse.