Sixty trees that were planted in St. Paul along the Mississippi River have been ripped out of the ground, leaving behind holes in the dirt adjacent to Shepard Road.
The trees were planted just last month by 25 high school students through the nonprofit Tree Trust.
“Can’t even imagine the energy that it took to do that because they’re not easy to pull out of the ground once they’ve been planted,” explained Karen Zumach of Tree Trust, who spoke to WCCO-TV.
Most of the trees were found tossed into the Mississippi River and can’t be salvaged.
City officials say the damage is estimated to be around $40,000. There is an investigation ongoing but there are no arrests or motives behind the vandalism.