LEGENDARY broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough is urging Dorset people to get behind a butterfly survey after the worst year on record for the species.

As president of the Dorset-based charity Butterfly Conservation, he is asking people to take part in the Big Butterfly Count to see if they are recovering.

Butterfly colonies in Dorset were among those to suffer a ‘catastrophic’ year in 2012.

The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme by East Lulworth-based Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology blamed the fall in numbers on one of the wettest years on record.

The Lulworth skipper, which can only be found locally, was among those worst hit along with the marsh fritillary, white-letter hairstreak and many of the more common blue varieties.

This spring, the coldest for 50 years, saw butterfly emergence delayed by around three weeks.

The warm start to July has given many species a boost.

Sir David said: “The washout weather of 2012 proved a disaster for our butterflies; these conditions, coupled with long-term declines, means there are probably fewer butterflies in the UK than at any point during my lifetime.

“Their ongoing decline tells us that all is not well in the British countryside.

“But it is not too late. You can help ensure that butterflies still bring that sense of magic to our summertime by taking part in the Big Butterfly Count.

“The count will tell us if butterflies are recovering and it lets us know how they are faring in our back gardens, parks, fields, towns and cities.

“But more than that, the count brings us face-to-face with Britain’s wildlife stars living right under our noses.”

Last year the public counted more than 220,000 butterflies with 15 of the 21 species declining compared to 2011’s Count.

For the fourth year running, the Big Butterfly Count is partnered by Marks & Spencer as part of its Plan A commitment to be the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015.

To take part, visit bigbutterflycount.org/about