Influencers Blamed for Rampant Foraging Depleting UK Countryside

As of October 2025, conservationists in the UK are sounding the alarm over the growing impact of influencers on foraging practices. Wholesome social media stars with millions of followers have been inspiring a surge in middle-class foragers, who are stripping the countryside bare in their quest to emulate the influencers' artfully-arranged baskets of wild berries and mushrooms.

Wildlife trusts have been forced to enforce strict foraging guidelines, and in some cases, outright bans on wild food gathering in their reserves and parks. The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust recently issued a warning that foraging is prohibited on their lands, as the practice disrupts the reproductive cycles of fungi and deprives wildlife of crucial food sources.

Experts like Monica Wilde, founder of the Association of Foragers, argue that the problems caused by foraging have been exaggerated. However, they acknowledge that the short, romanticized social media posts fail to properly educate followers on sustainable practices. Prominent "foraging influencers" like Fern Freud have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers, offering workshops and recipes that have further fueled the craze.

Conservationists are urging the public to be more mindful of their foraging habits, warning that the depletion of the UK's already fragile natural landscapes could have dire consequences for the local ecosystems and wildlife.