Counting butterflies reduces anxiety.
Counting butterflies reduce anxiety
A survey of people participating in the Big Butterfly Count found that tallying up the insects slashed feelings of unease and fear by nine per cent.
The research also discovered that spending 15 minutes observing and counting butterflies made people feel a deeper connection with nature and boosted their mental state.
Dr. Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, said: "While we have long known that there is a link between nature and human wellbeing, this study is the first to prove that the simple act of looking for and counting butterflies leads to a measurable decrease in anxiety.
"The results suggest that citizen science projects such as the Big Butterfly Count can play a part in improving people's mental health, as well as gathering important data on how butterflies are faring to inform our conservation work."