Someone is trying to kill trees in Maunalani Heights and residents want to know why. The vandals have targeted two shower trees which sit near a city bus stop. Residents who live high above Kaimuki say the view from Maunalani Heights and Wilhelmina Rise is to die for. But how far would someone go to preserve it?
"This wasn’t just some vandal who wanted to do something nasty," said Anthony Aalto, Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter Oahu Group Chair. "This was somebody who wanted these trees to die."
Several days ago residents who walk by this bus stop near Sierra Drive and Wilhelmina Rise noticed something odd.
"Walk by about a week ago, a carpet of leaves on the ground," said Maunalani Heights resident John DeMello.
Kanoa Neslon of Top Notch Landscaping saw it as well.
"It was bolo-head the tree just went drop leaves all of a sudden," said Nelson. "The whole area was covered in leaves and was like what happened?"
At the time there was no visual indication the shower trees had been tampered. That changed a day later when residents noticed rings around the base of each tree and something even more troubling.
"Apparently they had drilled and we didn’t see the drill holes and they had poured poison there," said DeMello.
The holes were about an inch in diameter and about an inch deep. John DeMello says his concerns grew on Wednesday.
"And then yesterday morning I come out and there’s fresh cuts, new another so it’s the third attempt," said DeMello.
It’s been less than a week.
"That tree is half dead over there," said DeMello.
And the trees which are estimated to be 15-to-20 years old are dying.
"It’s very troubling, it’s very sad to see somebody coming in and deliberately doing something like this that’s design to kill the trees," said Aalto.
It’s called girdling and when done properly it can stimulate a tree into producing more fruit. But there’s no fruit here. An arborist told KHON2 whoever did this knew girdling a tree like this would kill it. The dead grass indicates poison has also been used.
"When it’s all the way around as it is here as I understand it forget about it, you cannot save the tree," said Aalto.
"So the question is who would want to do something like this," said Aalto.
The arborist says the trees will more than likely have to be cut down.
"Obviously people are going to be on the watch out people are going to be looking to see why this might have happened," said Aalto. "And so you could say whoever was responsible, they’d better watch out."
Because of the trees value, this could be considered a felony criminal property damage case.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
