Why Count Sheep When You Can Count Butterflies and Make a Difference!

Citizen science is a beautiful way for everyday people to help protect our environment. For this project, all you need to do is count butterflies!

South Africa (22 May 2026) – Scientists and conservationists all pay close attention to what the butterflies are telling us – they happen to be powerful indicators of ecosystem health.

LepSoc Africa and Butterfly Monitoring Africa is calling on everyday South Africans to get involved in a citizen science project that aims to measure ecosystems through…butterflies!

Butterflies respond quickly and noticeably to changes in their environment. They feel everything including climate shifts, changes in plant diversity, overgrazing, invasive species, and pollution.

That makes them exceptional indicators of ecosystem health, giving scientists a window into what is happening across our green spaces.

The same way a doctor looks at our vital signs to decide whether something needs attention, butterfly data helps scientists understand the broader health of an entire ecosystem, from soil and plants all the way up to birds and mammals.

Butterfly Monitoring Africa is a citizen science initiative of the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa, and it brings together nature lovers, students, land managers, and scientists in a shared mission to study butterflies and the ecosystems they call home.

A small scientific team can’t monitor the entire country, but a network of curious people can!

When butterfly observations are collected consistently and repeated across seasons and across locations, they build reliable long-term datasets. These datasets help researchers separate trends from normal seasonal changes or once-off weather events. They provide early warnings of habitat degradation, climate change impacts, and shifts in land use. And they can even help guide conservation and land management decisions!

The best thing about this butterfly monitoring project is that there is a role for everyone, no matter your experience level. Here are five ways to get involved!

1. Opportunistic Observations (Perfect for Beginners)

Spot a butterfly. Take a photo. Upload it to iNaturalist. That’s it. You don’t even need to know what species it is. The app and community can help with identification. No prior skills needed, just a camera and your curiosity.

2. Species Lists

Going for a walk or a drive? Keep a little logbook and list all the butterfly species you see, note the time you spent counting, and submit your data using the Biome-Based Butterfly Distribution Mapping Excel sheets or the Woodhall’s Butterflies of SA app. This helps map which species occur where and when.

3. Timed Counts

This one takes about fifteen minutes. Sit or walk anywhere in a park, a garden, or a reserve, and count all the butterflies you see. Record the species, the numbers, how long you were observing, and the weather and location. Submit using the eBMS or eButterfly apps.

4. Structured Transect Counts

Considered the gold standard of butterfly monitoring, this method involves walking a registered transect route and counting all butterflies within a five-by-five-metre imaginary cube around you as you go. This produces data that can be meaningfully compared across regions and years. Use the eBMS app to log your results.

5. Butterfly Trapping

This one is a bit more hands-on and only recommended for experts. Traps are placed in designated locations and baited to attract butterflies that feed on fermenting fruit, carrion, or dung. When the traps are checked, the butterflies are counted and then released.

You can download a one-page guide to all five methods here – share it with friends, fellow citizen scientists, hiking groups, classrooms, etc!

Sources: Linked above.

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:

Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Why Count Sheep When You Can Count Butterflies and Make a Difference! appeared first on Good Things Guy.