She was mocked earlier this week for asking whether our EU exit would “mean we won’t have any trees”.
Fellow contestant Georgia snapped back, telling her: “No, that’s got nothing to do with it babe”.
But eco-experts on Thursday praised Hayley – saying she had raised a vitally important issue that has been overshadowed in Brexit discussions.
And they called on Environment Secretary Michael Gove to make her the nation’s tree champion.
Environmental specialists said Britain currently relies on tree imports to meet its new target of planting more than 11 million new trees in the next 25 years.
But Brexit means quitting the EU agency that oversees border checks on plant imports and ministers have failed to give the UK’s own Animal and Plant Health Agency enough capacity to do the necessary checking instead.
This means that post-Brexit, Britain would either have to let trees in without checking and risk importing tree diseases – or stop imports and miss the tree targets.
One industry official said: “Brexit means we might miss the tree targets, which is exactly what Hayley on Love Island warned about.”
“Maybe we should make Hayley national tree champion.”
It comes after Mr Gove appointed a tree champion earlier this week – in a bid to save thousands from being axed.
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