Public asked to count butterflies

People are being asked to take part in counting the number of butterflies In Lincolnshire.

It is part of a national survey to assess the health of the environment for pollinating insects.

Cleethorpes coastal ranger Josh Forrester will be holding two sessions at Humberston Fitties and Cleethorpes Country Park .

Mr Forrester said it was an "important citizen science initiative".

"Butterflies and moths are beautiful and vital pollinators. Their numbers reflect the health of our environment and they have decreased significantly since the 1970s," he said.

"Butterfly declines are also an early warning for other wildlife losses. Butterflies are key biodiversity indicators for scientists as they react very quickly to changes in their environment.

"So, if their numbers are falling, then nature is in trouble."

The Humberston Fitties event takes place on 18 July from 10:00 to 12:00 BST, with the Cleethorpes Country Park event between 10:00 and 12:00 on 21 July.

People across the county can take part in the count, even if they do not attend one of the events.

Participants are asked to count the number of butterflies, including species, they see in a 15 minute period and send the results to the Big Butterfly Count website.

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