Conservation may sometimes seem like the preserve of professionals, but in fact volunteers and members of the public play vitally important roles in many aspects of wildlife conservation.
Almost all that is known about the life-cycles, food-plants, habitats, flight times and distributions of our moths has come from observation and study by amateur moth-ers.
You can make a difference as an individual, but it is often more effective to work together with others through an organisation such as Butterfly Conservation, or a local moth group.
Some ways that you can get involved in moth conservation:
- Recording – records provide the foundations for conservation, so send in your moth sightings to your County Moth Recorder and onwards into the National Moth Recording Scheme
- Surveys – volunteer help is often required for surveys of scarce species or under-recorded areas
- Garden for moths – make your garden a haven for moths and, therefore, for other wildlife that relies on moths and caterpillars for food
- Habitat management – many nature reserves and other important sites for moths are managed by volunteers, and it’ll keep you fit too!
- Site protection – get involved with local conservation, for example via a local biodiversity forum, to help protect important sites for moths and other wildlife
- Research – help with ‘citizen science’ projects or undertake your own studies and publish the results
- Raising awareness – moths have had a poor public image, yet when people (and especially children) experience moth trapping they are invariably amazed. Run moth trapping events for your family, friends, local community groups, schools etc. and get your local newspaper and radio station involved
- Pass on your knowledge – if you are already knowledgeable about moths then pass on your enthusiasm and skills to help recruit a new generation of moth-ers
- Join Butterfly Conservation – you’ll have opportunities to help with many of the above activities through our network of local Branches, plus your membership fee will support moth conservation projects across the UK
Getting involved is fun and enjoyable, as well as rewarding.