Simon is cycling 700 miles from Glasgow to Inverness in a hunt for Scotland's rare and elusive butterflies and moths, raising money for Butterfly Conservation to help prevent further declines. Please help us to cheer him on by sponsoring him today.

Simon says:

I'll be looking for the Chequered Skipper, which is found around Fort William and was first seen on Mull in 2022. This little butterfly was recently re-introduced to Rockingham Forest, having gone extinct in England in the 1970s.

I'll also be on the hunt for the Belted Beauty, found on the beautiful machair habitats on Coll and Tiree, and the Slender Scotch Burnet which is restricted to just four populations on Mull and nearby islands.

With luck, I'll track down the White-spotted Sable, a Red Data Book species that is very local and declining. He also hopes to confirm the presence of the Tiree Twist, known from only one site on the island.

Why am I doing it? Butterflies and moths need our help: the State of the UK's Butterflies 2022 report revealed that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s. Habitat loss and degradation, caused by intensive agriculture and development - along with climate change - pose serious challenges for our wildlife. We urgently need to act to turn things around.

Nature needs our help, never more than now

Please cheer Simon on by sponsoring him today. Your donation will help protect the futures of endangered butterflies and moths.

£24, sponsorship of just £1 a day, could help create habitat case studies to show landowners which species could thrive on their land, creating new homes for endangered butterflies and moths.

Simon is on the look out for the beautiful Chequered Skipper and the rare Belted Beauty and Tiree Twist