The response from the Dunedin public to the vandalism of 13 native trees in the city's Town Belt has been "heartening", city council staff say.
Some time in the past two weeks, someone using a small axe or machete felled the trees, five of them about 60 years old, which stood in dense bush in an area away from houses or roads.
Parks and reserves staff were horrified by the damage and were at a loss as to why someone would put such a sustained effort in to an act of vandalism.
It appeared they were not alone in their sentiments, team leader Martin Thompson said.
He had received about 25 calls from members of the public after a story about the vandalism appeared in the Otago Daily Times on Thursday.
Most of the calls were from people wishing to express their disgust at the actions of those who had felled the trees.
A few were from people who had information they intended to share with the police, Mr Thompson said.
"If we'll get very far in terms of finding out who it was, I don't know. But we'll keep plugging away at it."
