Members of the public have less than one week to take part in the Big Butterfly Count, which is organised by the Butterfly Conservation to see how they are being affected by climate change

VOLUNTEERS have less than a week left to take part in a nationwide count of butterflies to help find out what toll last year’s heatwave may have taken.

The Big Butterfly Count, organised by the Butterfly Conservation charity, is being held across the UK until 6th August.

Last year people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight counted 4,358 of the creatures, but it is feared numbers have dropped since last year’s record temperatures which caused some of the plants which caterpillars feed on to die.

Senior surveys officer at Butterfly Conservation, Dr Zoë Randle, said: “We really need people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to get out for the count to help us understand the impact of climate change on our most loved butterflies.

“Who doesn’t remember following a fluttering red admiral around or being mesmerised by a large white?

“Butterflies are key indicators of environmental health and, with half of Britain’s butterfly species already threatened or near threatened with extinction, we need to take action now to protect them.”

To take part visit www.bigbutterflycount.org or download the free Big Butterfly Count app.