Count butterflies with us!

June 28, 2024 - Butterflies are beautiful animals! Who is not delighted to see many colorful butterflies fluttering across the meadows again at the beginning of summer? The good news is that butterflies are easy to spot, admire and identify. But just like many other insects, butterfly populations are steadily declining. So what can we do to help them? What measures are effective?

This and other questions are being investigated by the Agroecology-Transect project, in which CAP4GI project partner UFZ/iDiv is also involved. The project investigates on agricultural land and in rural areas how different agricultural practices affect butterflies and which agroecological measures are most suitable for butterflies.

Would you like to join us? It's fun, it's easy, it's relaxing, it helps science and can have a positive impact on European agricultural policy.

How does it work?  

• Download the Butterfly Count app (App store / Google Play) (In the app, select Agroecology-TRANSECT as project)
• Select an observation site (approx. 500m2)
  Ideally, you should choose two locations, one in the middle of the field and one at the edge of the field. 
• Register here your observation site
• Spend 15 minutes at the site, walk around and try to observe, identify and report the butterflies you see. 
• Visit the place again after two or three weeks, to determine what has changed. ( Ideally, you want to visit at least 3-4 times between the end of June and mid-August). 
• Spread the word! Tell your friends, relatives and neighbors about it: Together we can improve our knowledge about butterflies. vermehren. 

Find out more on the project homepage and download the counting instructions and the app: Butterfly Survey - Agroecology-TRANSECT