Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS)

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS)

The WCBS is a national scheme which complements the transects of the UKBMS (UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme) with mini transects walked in squares randomly selected by the BTO computer.  Volunteers from Butterfly Conservation and the BTO need to walk just twice per year in July and August (with an optional spring walk if you wish).  This means that the commitment is not heavy.

The Wider Countryside Butterfly Scheme (WCBS) Newsletter 2023 has been published.  Click here to download a copy in pdf format.

The UKBMS website has newsletters for years from 2014 available to download - click here

Over the past years volunteers have monitored butterflies in a selection of 1 km squares.  The Report is an interesting read showing not only the results of butterfly species numbers and analysis, but also a guide to some day-flying moths which recorders are encouraged to include.

If you have not previously been part of the scheme but would like to become involved contact our co-ordinator Twm Wade at the email address below.

We have 11 squares in need of a volunteer.  For details see below

OS Grid Reference	Town/Parish	Post Code
TL7866	Risby	IP28 6RD
TL7951	Thurston End, Hawkedon	IP19 4LQ
TL8183	Santon Downham	IP27 0AF
TL8566	Fornham St Martin, Bury St Edmunds North	IP31 1SN
TL9577	Coney Weston	IP31 1DL
TM0378	Redgrave	IP22 1SA
TM2975	Cratfield	IP19 0DP
TM3183	St Margaret, South Elmham	IP20 0PJ
TM4069	Darsham	IP17 3PH

Email our WCBS co-ordinator, Twm Wade to volunteer for one of these squares

The UKBMS Annual Reports are also available

The Annual Report for 2022 can be downloaded - click here

Annual Reports from 1997 can be downloaded from the UKBMS website - click here

BMS - Butterfly Monitoring Scheme
BTO - British Trust for Ornithology