Girl Guides in a knot over National Tree Day destruction

Over 200 newly planted trees have been ripped out and left for dead in Heritage Park, Tewantin, just one week after they were planted by girl guides and volunteers for National Tree Day.

Girl Guides, community groups, residents and school children gave up their time to plant 800 trees at a council funded planting session for National Tree Day.

Nadia Joyce from Noosa & District Landcare said the vandalism was discovered the morning after a monthly working bee by the Heritage Park Group.

"50 trees were left neatly stacked near where they had been ripped out and 150 of the trees were just thrown into the bush and left to die," Ms Joyce said.

"The whole thing is just so pointless; I can’t condone theft, but I could understand it better than this!

"It is nothing more than senseless vandalism of the lowest kind.

"So many people gave up their time for National Tree Day and someone has basically taken a great community effort and simply destroyed it.

"Council bush care workers and volunteers have replanted the 50 plants that were found."

Community Conservation Partnerships Team Leader Dave Burrows said that Heritage Park is a significant wildlife corridor.

"The site has an abundance of native flora and fauna and is a real asset to the community," Mr Burrows said.

"Several keen residents and a local bushcare group regularly conduct weed management and restoration in the park, through council’s Community Nature Conservation Program.

"We chose Heritage Park as a location for the National Tree Day planting to encourage more people to visit the park and learn about the amazing wildlife and flora the park supports.

"We’re obviously disappointed—the community do such a great job of helping conserve the Coast’s environment and it only takes a few incidents like this to make people feel they are wasting their time."