Vandals Commit Mass Arborcide Near the Greenway in Kissena Park

Hundreds of young trees were ripped from the ground — some stolen, some just left for dead — in a disturbing act of vandalism in Kissena Park in Queens last weekend that has horrified park and greenway volunteers.

The damage was first spotted on Saturday, April 6 in the area between the Four Winds Playground and the Kissena Velodrome. Volunteers had planted 300 saplings there since 2022.

"We're livid," one volunteer told Streetsblog. "It's personal for all of us. We're volunteers."

A poster on Reddit broke the news, though it's unclear if the Central Park Raccoons were involved:

Another witness reported seeing ATV riders also in the area the next day, and warned the illegal four-wheelers to leave the area alone. The pictures on Reddit do, indeed, show the kinds of tracks left by off-road vehicles.

The NYPD and Parks Department have investigated, but neither agency responded to questions from Streetsblog on Sunday.

The park includes a crucial east-west bike greenway connector. The Kissena Park Connector is part of Destination Greenways plan and volunteers have worked with current and a prior Council member to get funding.

Council Member Sandra Ung, who has supported the volunteers' work, told NY1 that anyone witnessing any vandalism should report it.