Butterfly Conservation runs schemes to monitor them which involve over 10,000 volunteer recorders.

The data gathered in our world-renowned schemes is used by the Government to indicate the health of the environment at national, UK and European levels.

The ongoing monitoring programmes help us direct our conservation effort where it is needed. It also helps us asses how effective current conservation work is.

Anyone can take part, from butterfly beginners to experienced recorders.

First sightings are gathered as the butterfly season progresses, providing up-to-date information about species emergence. In 2010 all our resident species had emerged by 24 July.

Butterflies for the New Millennium covers the whole British Isles. It assesses the distribution of each butterfly species. Anyone can submit records of sightings, whether from back gardens or mountain tops.

The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme assesses changes in butterfly abundance across a network of over 750 sites, by a combination of weekly 'transect counts' and single visit 'timed' counts.

The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey is a new method involving a few visits to randomly selected 1-km squares. The survey launched in 2009 with the help of the BTO to better assess the status of common butterflies in the wider countryside.

The big butterfly count is an annual nationwide survey to help assess the health of our environment by using butterflies as indicators of biodiversity. Anyone can join in by downloading an ID chart and submitting sightings from parks, gardens and other public spaces via the project website.

The National Moth Recording Scheme covers all of the larger (macro-) moth species in the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. The scheme is open to everyone and sightings (records) of day-flying or nocturnal moths from any location at any time of year can be submitted through a network of County Moth Recorders. Information about moths, moth recording and species distribution maps can be found at the Moths Count website.

National Moth Night is the annual celebration of moths and moth recording run by Atropos and Butterfly Conservation. It takes place in a different month each year but is always a great reason to get out moth recording or go along to one of the many public events.