Instagram users have been accused of trampling an iconic British poppy field in their quest for the perfect photograph.
The National Trust said the bright red flowers and other endangered plants were being flattened by social media addicts careless of the ecological value of the wildflower haven.
Officials said that at the site in Cornwall the “showstopper” poppies had attracted so many picture-takers the delicate area was at risk of damage.
The warning comes after a survey laid bare Britain’s rocky relationship with social media. Pollsters found half of young adults, known as Gen Z, put up a facade online to make themselves seem more interesting – including on Instagram and TikTok.
The poppy fields between Holywell Bay and Crantock beach burst into a sea of red every early summer. The National Trust has now asked nature lovers to stay on footpaths and not walk among the flowers.
A spokesperson said: “We appreciate there can be the urge to explore, photograph and to take selfies amongst the poppies which are the real showstopper.
“But there are a whole host of other, more delicate and rare flowers in there as well, so to avoid damaging the flowers for future years we ask visitors to please stay on the various footpaths that cross the headland.”
Flowers and foot traffic do not mix, the spokesperson warned.
The site near Newquay is managed as a nature reserve and is one of the only trust sites in Britain which is not commercially farmed.
The National Trust said it served as a “real reminder of traditional non-intensive farming methods of the past, which worked in harmony with nature”.
The spokesperson added the section of coastland was a “much-needed” haven for some of the most endangered wild flowers in the country, and hoped the “wow factor” would be allowed to continue.
SWNS
