The Guardian view on butterflies: elegant ambassadors for insects | Editorial

The 59 species that live in the UK are the most observed group of insects in the world. Now they need some supportIt is almost four decades since Blue Peter editor Biddy Baxter found out about a new survey being run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The idea was that junior birdwatchers would count the birds in their gardens, to find out which were the 10 most common species. After Ms Baxter featured it on the programme, 34,000 children joined in, and the Great Garden Birdwatch has run every year since.Volunteers and amateurs without scientific training have long had a crucial role to play in nature conservation. Over the last decade, such efforts have increasingly been grouped under the heading of citizen science. Provided you are somewhere in the UK, this is a good time to join in, because the Big Butterfly Count - the younger cousin of the birdwatch - is on and running until 12 August. Continue reading...