Please don’t take my flowers

Normally I feel great disappointment when I see graffiti in Hot Springs National Park.  However this message written with a marker on a pine got my attention in a good way.

OH DEER!
Don’t take my flowers
Turn Your Phone on & Video

It has been a constant annoyance to find whole fields of Wildflowers picked or dug up in Hot Springs National Park.  I go hiking in the morning and often by evening when I take a second hike with my husband they have been picked or removed.  These Wildflowers are on protected land, the only one who should pick them are the Wildlife that need them for food.  The plants in the park are there for the enjoyment of all not for a select few who steal them.  These beautiful blossoms do not belong in restaurant salads or for sale by herbalists (yes we have seen your truck in the park).  The many beautiful seasonal plants belong along the trails for ALL to enjoy.

It is with a sad heart I must stop listing the trails on which I spot specific Wildflowers and Fungi as some may be using my blog as a guide for their poaching.