16 March 2023
Islanders who would like to get involved in the twentieth year of butterfly monitoring are
encouraged to come along to an open day on Saturday 25 March.
The event is free for to attend and will be held at the Durrell Academy at Jersey Zoo between 10am
and 4pm. Those wanting to attend must reserve their place through Eventbrite or by emailing Wild About Jersey.
Over the course of the day, Islanders will be trained on how to record butterfly sightings and
habitat changes, upload recordings into the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, and watch practical
demonstrations.
Being a butterfly monitor requires Islanders to record butterflies in their allotted transect once a
week from between the start of April and end of August. The transect sites are already set up and
volunteers are allocated a transect to record for the whole season. Holiday cover can usually be
arranged.
Islanders can view the full day schedule on Jersey Butterfly Monitoring Scheme | Eventbrite. At the
end of the session, there will be an opportunity to sign up as a Wild Volunteer or find out other
ways to get involved with the scheme depending on Islanders’ time and availability.
The data collected from the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme will complete a 20-year collection of data
which will be valuable to assess the state of butterflies in Jersey.
Senior Environment Officer in Biodiversity, Tina Hull, said: “ The scheme and training event is open
to everyone - it’s a great way for people to connect to nature and appreciate their surroundings.
Butterfly numbers are a very good indicator of the health of our environment and the scheme has
successfully been running since 2004.
“The group and volunteers involved are a friendly bunch of people with a love for nature and
butterflies. I’d really encourage anyone who is able to commit to the scheme or is looking for a new
hobby - to get involved.”
Those attending the event should wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for the practical
demonstrations. Light refreshments will be provided on the day.
gov.je