This weekend saw the launch by David Attenborough (our hero!) of the annual Big Butterfly Count run by the charity Butterfly Conservation.
This important annual count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world's biggest survey of butterflies. Over 60,000 people took part in 2017, submitting 62,500 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK.
All you need to do to take part is sit somewhere in your garden for 15 minutes and count butterflies. The best conditions are when it's bright and sunny - and we've got plenty of that at the moment so it's the perfect time to do it!
If you are counting from a fixed position in your garden, count the maximum number of each species that you can see at a single time. For example, if you see three Red Admirals together on a buddleia bush then record it as 3, but if you only see one at a time then record it as 1 (even if you saw one on several occasions) – this is so that you don’t count the same butterfly more than once . If you are doing your count on a walk, then simply total up the number of each butterfly species that you see during the 15 minutes. Then just go on to Big Butterfly Count website and submit your numbers!
We love butterflies at Cupsmith and we think this is a brilliant inititiave and one we're going to do as a family. We also think it's the perfect moment to sit down with a cup of tea while you count. Sitting in nature is good for the soul, helps you relax and take time out, and this is something we value very highly indeed. So each day this week we'll be giving away free bags of tea on our Facebook and instagram pages to celebrate our fabulous butterflies and taking time out to enjoy nature with the very best cup of tea!
Cupsmith x
#butterflycount
