MILWAUKEE — Nearly 30 trees that were planted earlier this month at Lyons Park in Milwaukee were ripped out of the ground over the weekend in what appears to be an act of vandalism.
The trees, which were funded by a DNR grant, were a part of a project called "Roots in the community" that picked out several parks around Milwaukee County.
The county parks system worked with local stakeholders, looking at air quality, urban heat maps, and environmental justice and equity factors, to decide how and where to plant trees in county parks. The reforestation of parks is a part of Milwaukee County Parks' comprehensive plan.
At Lyons Park, county workers and community members worked together to plant the trees. One of those was Tammy Hansen, who was devastated when she saw the damage.
Watch: Community frustrated as Dozens of newly planted trees were vandalized at a Milwaukee County park
"I stood here and I cried, it just broke my heart, I wasn't even sure what to do, how to fix it," Hansen said.
The vandalism caused approximately $1,400 in damage, according to Sarah Long, a reforestation coordinator at Milwaukee County Parks who oversees the tree-planting project.
"We want this park to be here for generations, and in order to do that, we need trees," Hansen said.
On Sunday and Monday, community members and county workers worked to replant the damaged trees. While they are back in the ground, officials won't know how many will survive until spring arrives.
"If you know who did this, I want you to report it. There should always be consequences to something like this," Hansen said.
A report has been filed with the sheriff's office, according to the group.
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