Cowardly vandals who crept into the grounds of a Carterton kindergarten at night and ripped out a little native tree have broken the hearts of the children who cared for it.
South End Kindergarten children are bewildered over the loss of the titoki that had a special place in their lives
since being donated to the kindergarten late last year, having been nurtured by the grower for three years previously.
Head teacher Kay Easton said the destruction of the tree happened overnight Saturday when it had obviously been wrenched from the ground and taken away.
"I went past on Sunday morning and noticed it was missing. I cried."
Mrs Easton said when the children started arriving on Monday morning they were devastated at the news the tree had been destroyed. "They loved that little tree, they used to care for it and watch it grow.
"It had been doing well and had grown half a metre over summer."
The titoki had been planted after being donated by Mrs Easton's son Luke, who has a native plant nursery, and blessed by the Maori community.
Its significance was to mark the completion of the kindergarten's Circle of Friends showpiece in the kindergarten grounds.
Mrs Easton said the plan is to replace the tree and to ask Carterton District Council to help out by providing a proper cage to enclose it.
"Then we will padlock the cage like we have to padlock everything else nowadays.
"We even padlock the shade sails at the kindergarten."
The kindergarten has been plagued by vandalism over many months, including an attack on the south side of the building that resulted in every window being smashed.
That was six months ago and Mrs Easton said glass shards are still being found in the surrounding soil.
She said the vandalism of the tree has been reported to police.
