M&S and Butterfly Conservation launch UK's largest ever butterfly count

The retailer and Butterfly Conservation are aiming to attract over 100,000 people to join the count.

Taking part is simple – participants just need to stand in a garden, park or field (or any location where butterflies might be seen) and record how many they see in 15 minutes.

Sir David Attenborough, President of Butterfly Conservation, said: "The Big Butterfly Count should be great fun. Butterflies are extraordinary, heart lifting creatures – visions of beauty and visions of summer. Butterflies in profusion tell us all is well with nature. When they decline it's a warning that other wildlife will be soon be heading the same way. So with the Big Butterfly Count we'll be doing more than just counting butterflies – we'll be taking the pulse of nature."

A new website has been built so that participants can enter records online.

This will be supported by the M&S website which will guide consumers to the count, and on Saturday, July 24, M&S's Belfast and Lisburn stores will be promoting the count - handing out guides on how to take part as well as butterfly masks for children.

M&S will also be encouraging all its customers and staff to take part by rewarding them when they complete the count with 10 per cent off M&S plants when they shop online, and offering M&S customers a discounted membership to Butterfly Conservation, along with a special poster and leaflet on how to attract butterflies into their gardens.

Bill Waddle, M&S Head of Region, commented: "We want to lead the way in making a positive contribution to the environment and we really hope lots of people across the country will take part in the Big Butterfly Count – it should be great fun as well as providing vital information about the health of the UK's butterfly population."

Last month, Butterfly Conservation and M&S launched a partnership campaign targeting both the retailer's customers and farmers to help raise awareness about the importance of butterflies and moths. This valuable partnership is part of the retailer's eco-plan, Plan A commitment to be the world's most sustainable retailer by 2015.

The partnership has seen M&S launch a scheme for all M&S farmers to be given advice on how to encourage butterflies on their farms, the Big Butterfly Count, and a range of butterfly products with a donation of the profits made to Butterfly Conservation. The range includes plants that attract butterflies, butterfly adorned products such as t-shirts and Colin the Caterpillar sweets and cakes.

As part of the Butterfly Conservation partnership, M&S wants to engage all of its farmers in the UK to help protect the butterfly. Over the next 12 months Butterfly Conservation will visit key M&S farmers, and all M&S farmers will be given advice on how to encourage and maintain more butterflies on their farms.

Bill continued: "We want to make it as easy as possible for all our customers and farmers to get involved - with the launch of the Big Butterfly Count, our fantastic range of products, and also the support our farmers will be getting from Butterfly Conservation, there should be something for everyone."

M&S has also provided additional funds for Butterfly Conservation to recruit an extra team member to support the campaign, as well as expert assistance on how to set up the Big Butterfly Count