Winnie the Pooh taking part in the Big Butterfly Count

Winnie the Pooh is encouraging families to enjoy the great outdoors this summer by joining Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count.

To mark the occasion, Disney has created a beautiful Winnie the Pooh short animation in watercolour depicting Pooh counting Painted Lady butterflies whilst sitting outside his house in Hundred Acre Wood.

Hand-drawn by Disney’s Senior Principal Artist, Kim Raymond, the 25-second heart-warming creation shows the iconic bear surrounded by the colourful insects, which have been spotted in their thousands across the UK this summer, in a once-in-a-decade nature phenomenon.

With only 59 species of butterfly in the UK and 76% of the nation’s butterflies in decline, the Big Butterfly Count aims to help scientists see how our common butterfly species are faring and which need support. The nationwide count is set to close on the 11th August.

Just as Pooh and friends enjoyed going on new adventures in Hundred Acre Wood, wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation has created some tips to help families make the most of being outdoors together and make adventures of their own.

  1. Get the children to make a list of all the places they think could be good for butterflies – the garden, your local park, woodland or any other green-space – and pick a new place to visit each day before the Big Butterfly Count ends on Sunday 11th August.

  2. Invite your friends and neighbours to join in and organise a group Big Butterfly Count while enjoying a picnic or BBQ out in nature.

  3. Set an alarm for 15 minutes on your phone or watch and see which member of the family can find the most butterflies in that time!

  4. If you have a garden, the whole family can do their bit to help pollinators all year round by planting nectar plants for butterflies and food plants for their caterpillars. If you don’t have a garden, get the children to help you plant up some pots, create a window box or grow plants up a fence or wall!

  5. The life cycle of a butterfly or moth can be fascinating – why not get the kids outside searching for caterpillars and rear your own caterpillars?