It seems some people have forgotten how to tiptoe through the tulips. A frustrated botanist took to TikTok to share tourists' destructive behavior as they crushed native flowers that had bloomed for the first time in 20 years.
TikToker Jessie Dickson (@sacramentofoodforest) filmed the sightseers carelessly wandering through a field of gorgeous violet-colored flowers, which they identified in the comments as wild lupine.
In the video, it appeared most people were oblivious to the damage they were doing to the environment. They casually took pictures while trampling the delicate flowers and allowed their children to run wild through the field.
@sacramentofoodforest #question from @sacramentofoodforest native bees should be enjoying theses !!!#wildflower #flower #flowers #bloom #blooms #wildflowers #flowershower #climatechange #plantsoftiktok #planttiktok #plantsmakemehappy #🌸 #superbloom #nature #naturevibes #naturelover #planttok #climatejustice #savethebees #bee #pollinatorsareimportant #🌹 #AVrboForTogether ♬ Oh No - Kreepa
"Superbloom turned to super destruction," Jessie wrote in text superimposed over the video.
"People destroying native wildflowers for super fake Instagram/social media posts make me furious," they added with a couple of angry-face emojis.
One commenter thought the flowers would grow back the following season, but Jessie replied: "A lot were destroyed before going to seed. So I'd say a lot of pointless damage to a native plant was done."
Making it even worse, Jessie said in the comments that lupine rarely blooms in Sacramento, where they took the video. "Due to the amount of infrastructure and environmental destruction, it hasn't happened in 20 years," they said.
Jessie posed a poignant question to viewers: "How can we solve real climate change issues when people can't even see this is bad?!"
Of course, the visitors probably weren't aware of the environmental consequences and just wanted to snap some cute family photos.
However, it's especially upsetting since Jessie said the super bloom occurred in a dried-up lake bed that's usually underwater, making the event even more special.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying natural phenomena, but it's important to be respectful of the environment and people around you. California's Morro Bay National Estuary Program offers tips on viewing wildflowers responsibly, such as walking on marked trails and avoiding stepping on or removing flowers.
"This happens every year in California," one user lamented.
"Taking pictures with stuff like this is okay; just don't go stomping through and destroying it all," another said, adding facepalm emojis to signal their frustration.
"That's why we gatekeep things like this because not everyone is capable to understand what they are doing. All for a temporary satisfaction," someone else commented.
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