Tim Hunter, owner of Hitchin Lavender, made a plea to visitors to stop ‘killing’ their plants for a social media ‘photo-op’
The boss at a popular England tourist attraction has criticised some visitors for ‘damaging’ its flowers. Tim Hunter, the director of Hitchin Lavender, Hertfordshire, shared a plea to visitors who use his fields as a ‘photo opportunity’ to be mindful of their actions.
He took to social media to share a video of the damage done to the lavender, saying it had been ‘killed’ after a number of people laid down in the plants and squashed the crop. Tim explained that sitting on the lavender for just ten seconds can mean the plants die out, with the flowers taking years to mature.
Tim also urged visitors to think of the wildlife that use the lavender as habitats, such as bees, butterflies, moths, and skylarks, to name a few. In a video uploaded to the attraction’s Instagram, Tim showed off the damage done by people laying down amongst the flowers.
Hitchin Lavender wrote on Instagram: “ANNOUNCEMENT: Please don’t kill our lavender! Didn’t enjoy making this video but important to share.
“Lavenders take years to mature. In 10 seconds hundreds of our bushes (the majority of which are between 10 and 25 years old) are being killed by some visitors wanting to sit on them..?
“Our lavenders are habitat to bees, butterflies, moths, skylarks, spiders, mice, hares, game birds and a huge array of small bugs. Many more animals feed off these creatures such as swallows, red kites, buzzards, foxes etc. So please refrain from destroying their home and for ruining the views for your fellow visitors to enjoy.”
Visitors of the popular Hertfordshire attraction shared their sympathy in the comments. Rhicamhardy said: “We came last weekend with our kids and a dog and I was shocked at how the place was being treated by people desperate to get the perfect photo. Treading on the plants, allowing their kids to pull on them! I was even a ‘Karen’ and told one child off. Hope people are better for you the rest of the season.”
Amandaanddarcy wrote: “Once again a negative of social media, people are so self absorbed all for that one selfie, they have killed a natural habitat for thousands of animals, birds, insects, it makes me so cross, and also your hard work of keeping this beautiful field alive for years, and to share it with others, maybe cameras are way forward to name and shame them? So sad, let’s hope they see this and realise.”
One Instagram user provided a suggestion to remedy the issue: “Perhaps it would be possible to provide a leaflet at the cash desk in connection with the entrance fee or to generally put up several visible notices such as signs, increasing the entrance fee.”
Tim, told BBC Three Counties Radio , that while he’s appreciative of people visiting the fields, there are a number of people “take that photo-op a bit too far”. He said: “I think they’re looking for different pictures so they actually want to lie in the lavender itself without actually knowing they’re destroying it at the same time, which is a bit of a shame.”
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