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. With warmer, sunnier weather in recent weeks, butterflies have been more active.

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 and it is being launched in 2009 with the help of the BTO to better assess the status of common butterflies in the wider countryside.

Moths Count assesses the distribution of moths throughout the British Isles. Anyone can take part. The project also includes Garden Moths Count and National Moth Night