BUDDING naturalists have been asked to help in this year's Big Butterfly Count.

It's the world’s biggest butterfly survey run by the charity, Butterfly Conservation.

It is asking people to simply spend 15 minutes in any outdoor space and record the butterflies they see.

Dr Zoë Randle, senior surveys officer at the charity said: “The Big Butterfly Count has fallen at a time this year when so many of us have spent more time living and working in our homes and exercising in our local areas than ever before.

"We’re taking note for the first time, of just how abundant the nature is around us and how important it is to our wellbeing. We’d love this new wave of nature-conscious people to continue to give a little something back to our environment which has been a comfort to us all through the last few months.

“Butterflies are key indicators of the health of our environment and as factors like changing weather patterns and other human activity affect our local habitats and ecosystems, we need to understand what this means for nature.

"By understanding our butterfly populations, we are taking the pulse of nature. There’s no limit to how much data we can collect and we’re urging everyone to get involved, not just from gardens and parks, but from your window boxes, in our city streets and on your camping staycation holiday.

"So why not continue to take part while you holiday in the UK and see how your counts compare to ones taken at home.”

To take part in the survey go to: bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org