Youngsters protect sea daffodils in danger of extinction in Turkey’s south

MERSİN - Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

Young environmentalists are holding a sit-in in an endeavor to protect sea daffodils in danger of extinction in the southern province of Mersin.

The group of young environmentalists, some of whom are under the age of 18, are watching the coast during the beach’s busiest hours and have erected placards reading “Do not pick the sea daffodils” and “Let’s protect sea daffodils in danger of extinction,” in an effort to preserve the sea daffodils in the area.

A young volunteer named Sıla Gürbüz, 16, said she organized the effort to protect sea daffodils along the coast in the Kapızlı neighborhood of Mersin’s Silifke district with her friends after she witnessed foreign and local tourists picking the plants, which should be uniquely protected.

“Sea daffodils are treasures of Turkey,” Gürbüz said. “I saw several environment advocates and rights groups placing placards [to protect sea daffodils] in some other areas. So I thought I could create awareness for sea daffodils [on this beach].”

People began to pay attention to the placards as soon as Gürbüz and her friends put them on the beach, Gürbüz said.

While taking sea daffodils out of the country is prohibited in the region, Gürbüz and her friends’ volunteer project seems to have made a major local impact.

Tourists have become more sensitive to the issue, according to the volunteer, and even began to warn others who attempted to pick the plants.