In Amersfoort 77 trees were damaged beyond repair, probably with an axe. Replacing the trees will cost tens of thousands of euros, according to the municipality. It is still unclear who is behind the vandalism.
Several types of trees were destroyed, including an alder, a prunus, an oak, a birch, a poplar and a beech. The trees did not survive the attack, according to the municipality.
It is not clear exactly how much it costs to plant new trees, “but an amount of 100,000 euros is realistic”, the municipality says to RTV Utrecht. “You have the purchase costs of the tree, transport from the nursery here and a crane to remove the destroyed tree.”
Mature oak survives attack
In addition to a few small trees, mature beech trees and an oak were also badly damaged. “These will suffer from it, but will probably survive, provided extra care is taken, such as extra nutrition and aeration,” says a spokesperson for the municipality. “We have the beech wrapped with burlap to prevent the wound from drying out.”
According to the Elisabeth Groen foundation, the ‘tree executioner’ has been busy with the destruction for a long time. “With each tree, the mutilation certainly took minutes, so there is no question of occasional vandalism.”
The foundation receives a lot of support. A donation campaign has been set up to replace the trees. There is a camera near a number of trees. It is still unclear whether a perpetrator can be seen on it.
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