Lytham nursery children join UK wide butterfly count

Children from Kids Planet Lytham Lodge have taken part in the Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count 2025, a UK-wide survey that encourages people to spot and record butterflies in support of conservation.

The event saw children from the nursery aged two to four head to Park View in Lytham St Annes Friday morning to explore the outdoor space, learn about different butterfly species, and help gather valuable data to support the protection of butterflies and moths across the country.

The butterfly spotting session was part of Kids Planet’s wider mission to champion the benefits of outdoor learning in early years settings. It follows new findings from its Outdoor Learning Report that show while 88 per cent of parents in the North West believe outdoor learning is essential for their child’s development, only 23 per cent say their child takes part in outdoor learning every day.

This year, the count which is on until 10th August, is more important than ever with the Butterfly Conservation stating that last year’s count was the lowest it’s ever been in its 14-year history. Just 36 per cent of children under five take part in wildlife conservation according to Kids Planet’s Outdoor Learning Report, but today has proven that it can be as easy as heading to a park and keeping a tally of the number of butterflies, moths, bees and bugs that are seen.

Rhiannon Mountain, head of outdoor learning at Kids Planet said,“Outdoor learning is a powerful tool for child development, nurturing curiosity, independence, and a love for the natural world. Today’s Butterfly Count was a fantastic way to engage children in nature while helping them understand the role they play in protecting it. With so many children spending more time indoors, moments like this matter more than ever.”

Martin Wain, Butterfly Conservation’s North of England Conservation Manager, said: “We are delighted that Kids Planet Day Nurseries are taking part in this year’s Big Butterfly Count and helping butterflies and moths in their local area. The Count is so easy to do, it only takes 15 minutes, and it’s a great thing to do with friends and family so everyone can help a look out and identify all the species you spot.

“Sadly, last year’s Big Butterfly Count results were the worst in the 14-year history of the Count, and we can see that butterflies and moths across the UK are massively affected by weather and ultimately climate changes. Butterfly Conservation is looking at the threats to butterflies and moths from climate breakdown, habitat destruction, pesticides and pollution, and by taking part in the Count, your records will help us to get a better picture of how species are doing all over the country, and help us plan the next steps in our rescue mission for butterflies and moths.”