What is the current situation for our butterflies in the city and are local populations under threat? This is what the butterfly counts, which are being carried out as part of the new communication and education project "VielfalterGarten" in close connection with the Butterfly Monitoring Germany ( Tagfalter-Monitoring Deutschland (TMD)), which has been coordinated at the UFZ since 2005, are intended to show. As a citizen science project, VielFalterGarten is aimed at all interested citizens. A wide variety of green spaces can be chosen for the butterfly counts. At the moment, the already registered butterfly meadows on the TU Dresden campus are the focus of the local investigations. These can be viewed on the butterfly map ( Vielfalterkarte). However, butterflies can also be counted at other locations.

© Kristin Fiedler

There is a lot to see right now because it is butterfly high season! Until the end of September, the eyes of as many participants as possible are needed to find out which butterfly species there are in Dresden.

All that needs to be done is 15 minutes of butterfly watching and counting. When you go for a walk, during your lunch break, on the playground with your family, or on your way home. In the park, in the garden, in green spaces, in backyards, and on flower strips,.... no matter where everywhere can be counted.

How are the butterflies counted?
A special app has been developed for counting butterflies: the VielFalterGarten app. An iOS version is currently being worked on, until then the app Butterfly Count eBMS can be used on the iPhone.

Can you do this without a mobile phone?
Sure! That's no problem: observations can also be entered in a printed log and sent to .

How can the different butterfly species be identified and distinguished?
There is an indentification guide for this.

And if no butterflies are visible?
That's no problem at all! So-called "zero counts", i.e. counting attempts without a butterfly, are also important for the investigations and should be documented.

Observation sites
There are registered sites where others are already counting butterflies, such as the butterfly meadows on the TUD campus, which you can find on the   VielFaltermap. New observation sites can be registered as VielFalterGarten at www.vielfaltergarten.de.

© Kristin Fiedler

Questions
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Kristin Fiedler.

More about the project at: www.vielfaltergarten.de