Garden Tiger - Shane Farrell

Recording and monitoring carried out by volunteers is vital for the conservation of butterflies and moths.

The sightings, whether from nature reserve, countryside, park or garden, submitted through our recording and monitoring schemes underpin our work to save threatened species, improve landscapes, increase knowledge and raise awareness. You can take part by recording butterfly or moth sightings as part of the schemes listed below. By doing so you will be directly supporting conservation, but also improving your wellbeing in these challenging times.

Find out what scheme works best for you

Here is how to get involved:

 
Duke of Burgundy (female/upperwing) - Mark Searle

Butterfly recording

Please tell us about the butterflies that you see in your garden, local area or countryside anywhere in the UK.

If you prefer the flexibility to record butterflies 'as and when' with no particular commitment, and in many different places, then take part in the Butterflies for the New Millennium (BNM) recording scheme by submitting your sightings on a computer through BNM Online or smartphone using the free iRecord Butterflies app. Use whichever suits you best - the records will reach Butterfly Conservation either way.

Submit sightings through BNM Online

Download the iRecord Butterflies smartphone app


 
Wild Spaces Campaign

Create Wild Spaces

Since 1945 the UK has lost 98% of its meadows. This habitat loss along with climate change means that our butterflies and moths are in severe decline. But... it doesn’t have to be this way. We are embarking on a campaign to transform the UK into a butterfly and moth-friendly haven and we need you to help.

Get Involved with our Wild Spaces Campaign


 
Small Tortoiseshell on Dahlia - Steve Maskell

Record butterflies regularly in your garden

If you can record regularly in your garden throughout the year then please take part in the Garden Butterfly Survey. This is only for garden sightings because it aims to monitor how butterflies are faring in the UK’s gardens. Although there are no specific rules about how long to spend watching for butterflies, participants should be committed to recording throughout the year.

Find out more and get involved in the Garden Butterfly Survey


 
High Brown Fritillary (upperwing) - Iain Leach

 

Butterfly monitoring

Monitoring is regular recording of the same area following a specific method. It generates the best data that we have for assessing the changing fortunes of UK butterflies. Volunteers need good butterfly identification skills and commitment to undertake visits to specific sites.

Find out more about butterfly monitoring


 
Small Elephant Hawk-moth (underwing) - Bob Eade

Moth recording

Join the thousands of people who take part in the National Moth Recording Scheme each year by submitting sightings of day-flying or nocturnal moths from anywhere in the UK. Such sightings are vital to understand the distributions and trends of moths and contribute to our State of Britain's Moths reports, scientific research and conservation projects.

Take part in the National Moth Recording Scheme


Thank you for helping us to record and conserve butterflies and moths. Your sightings are essential to our work to create a world where butterflies and moths thrive and can be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.