Ricoh UK Products Ltd (RPL) is proud to announce that it is supporting the Big Butterfly Count 2023 – a nationwide ‘citizen science survey’ aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment.
It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world's biggest survey of butterflies. Over 64,000 individuals took part in 2022, submitting 96,257 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK.
Why Butterflies?
The Butterfly Conservation states: “We count butterflies because not only are they beautiful creatures to be around, but they are also extremely important. They are vital parts of the ecosystem as both pollinators and components of the food chain.
“However, they are under threat. Numbers of butterflies and moths in the UK have decreased significantly since the 1970s. This is a warning that cannot be ignored.
“Butterfly declines are also an early warning for other wildlife losses. Butterflies are key biodiversity indicators for scientists as they react very quickly to changes in their environment. Therefore, if their numbers are falling, then nature is in trouble. So, tracking numbers of butterflies is crucial in the fight to conserve our natural world.
“That's why taking part in this massive citizen science enterprise is of great importance not just for our butterflies but for the wider environment and biodiversity in general.”
Purchasing and Environmental Specialist, Elaine Herwin, has started this initiative at RPL’s Telford site, by recording her own findings around the area – but now we invite all employees to join the count, outside of the workplace and in our local community!
The count officially starts on Friday, 14 July and runs until Sunday, 6 August.
RPL’s internal Biodiversity team are pleased to share that this activity will strengthen our commitment to the achievement of SDGs, and also contribute to the business’ CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) for this financial year, which will be monitored and shared with Ricoh globally.
For further information, please visit: https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/