In a mind-boggling act of senseless vandalism, somebody uprooted 60 newly planted trees in St. Paul, Minnesota, and tossed them into a river.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported on the tragic incident, which is estimated to have cost the city $40,000.
All of the trees had been planted by a group of local high schoolers as part of a community initiative just months prior in coordination with a job training program run by Tree Trust.
The Star Tribune spoke with Karen Zumach, Tree Trust's director of community forestry, who was shocked by the vandalism.
"I'm incredibly sad. It's hard to fathom," she said. "I think I'm still a little bit speechless. It's a pretty devastating thing to have happen. There's no real words."
Of the 60 trees that were removed in what police suspect was during a single night, 46 of them were tossed into a nearby river. Unfortunately, this rendered them "unsalvageable" for replanting, Zumach said. The 14 that did not end up in the river, though, have been replanted, and an investigation is underway to find the vandals.
"I like to think that trees are the least controversial thing we deal with these days," Zumach lamented. She pointed out that while she's dealt with some vandalism in the past, she's seen "nothing of this scope and scale."
When tree vandalism like this occurs, there's not always a clear motive, particularly if the trees are part of public lands. However, there are exceptions. One group in New York illegally cleared forest to make way for an unofficial bike path, and several homeowners around the world have been fined after being caught bulldozing acres to clear a view. Private homeowners also regularly face tree vandalism, whether from genuine ignorance or willful incompetence on the part of their neighbors.
Perhaps the greatest irony behind this type of damage is that trees benefit everybody who lives in their vicinity, not just their owners. Trees act as a natural air filter, wind blocker, erosion stabilizer, shade source, water catchment, and habitat for biodiversity. Being around trees has even been shown to improve mental health.
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