Councilmember Sandra Ung was joined by NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donaghue and Assistant Chief Christine Bastedenbeck of Patrol Borough Queens North in Kissena Park on Monday to denounce the destruction of 300 recently planted trees, as well as ask for members of the public to come forward with any information that could help identify those responsible.
“Over the past week, either someone or a group of individuals has taken it upon themselves to excavate land to create what appears to be a well-planned track, destroying 300 recently planted trees in the process,” said Councilmember Ung. “This is the same area where volunteers for the past two years have planted and cared for approximately 2,000 trees as part of a reforestation effort for the benefit of the entire community. We know that there are residents who enjoy walking these trails on a regular basis, and we are urging them to contact either the Parks Department or NYPD if they saw any suspicious activity.”
The vandalism was first reported to NYC Parks after a regular park user noticed a person riding an ATV through the area on Sunday, April 7. Since then, there has been evidence that whoever is responsible returned over the next few days and destroyed additional natural areas to create the track.
Last Thursday, a specialist with the Natural Resources Group, a team of professionals that study New York City’s natural areas, estimated the damage at $15,000, which rises to the level of a felony. Both the NYPD and Parks Enforcement officers have stepped up patrols in the area. Assistant Chief Bastedenbeck urged anyone with information on the vandalism to call (800) 577-TIPS.
The councilmember, commissioner, and assistant chief were joined on Monday by Leona Chin, the founder of Kissena Synergy. For the last two years, she and a group of dedicated volunteers have spent several days a week in this section of Kissena Park near the Velodrome parking lot planting and caring for the trees. The effort is part of a reforestation effort to restore the land to its natural habitat.
On March 15, Councilmember Ung joined the group to plant trees and spread mulch. While there, she presented Chin with a City Council Proclamation for her years of volunteer work in the park and greater Flushing community.
“One of the unique features of Kissena Park is its wooded areas and trail system that offer short secluded hikes in the middle of northeast Queens,” said Councilmember Ung. “Unfortunately, someone decided they could just claim this space for their own personal use. I want to thank Commissioner Donoghue and NYC Parks, Assistant Chief Bastedenbeck and the NYPD, and Mayor Adams for their attention to this issue.”
Kissena Park has a long history of horticultural since 1735, when William Prince established the first commercial nursery in the Americas in 1735. Some of its famous patrons included George Washinton and King William IV, while explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left behind specimens from their expeditions.
By the early 1870s, Samuel Bowne Parsons established a nursery that included the site of Kissena Park’s historic tree grove. Parson’s nursery imported over 100 varieties of exotic trees, and many of the trees in Central Park and Prospect Park came from his nursery.
