Tree bandits strike twice at Madera park. Oaks, Ginkgos, Chinese Elm stolen

Erik Galicia
·3 min read
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Tree thieves are still on the loose in the city of Madera, where 11 young trees planted by community volunteers have been stolen from a city park in the past week.

Madera Parks Supervisor Hector Sanchez said a department staff member discovered the first theft at Lions Town and Country Park on Friday evening. The stakes used to support the young trees remained on the scene, but the actual trees were gone, Sanchez said.

He added that staff began to think “something’s not right here.”

It’s believed the criminals struck again sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, when six more trees were discovered missing.

The 11 trees that have been stolen range in price from $175 to $200, depending on the type of tree. The list of stolen trees includes:

  • Three Valley Oak trees

  • Three Ginkgo trees

  • Two Shumard Oak trees

  • One Southern Oak tree

  • One Scarlet Oak tree

  • One Chinese Elm tree

A volunteer works on planting a Ginko tree in Madera on Earth Day 2023. Ginkgo trees are native to east Asia and grow leaves with a shape that resembles an open Chinese hand fan. Their leaves are known to turn yellow in autumn.
A volunteer works on planting a Ginko tree in Madera on Earth Day 2023. Ginkgo trees are native to east Asia and grow leaves with a shape that resembles an open Chinese hand fan. Their leaves are known to turn yellow in autumn.

There are cameras around the park, but Sgt. Matthew McCombs of the Madera Police Department said he has not been able to obtain any footage that would help the investigation.

“My first thought: People seeing an easy opportunity to take something and sell it on OfferUp or Facebook,” McCombs said.

The police are looking for any leads that could help them identify the thieves or find the trees. McCombs said things to look out for include: young trees still in their buckets or containers that have suddenly appeared this week or a group of new trees that have suddenly appeared.

“Or if anyone has 11 new trees,” McCombs said.

The trees were taken from the deeper, less visible and more secluded areas of Lions Town and Country Park, Sanchez said. At a size of a little more than 50 acres, the park is the city’s second largest, he added.

There have been no similar types of thefts in Madera recently, McCombs said.

While tree theft sometimes occurs in the city’s zoned areas during new development, Sanchez said this is the first time he’s heard of it happening in a city park.

He called the thievery “frustrating, disappointing” and “a setback.”

An Earth Day event in Madera this past spring attracted community volunteers, including many children, to plant trees at Lions Town and Country Park and also Rotary Park. Sanchez said volunteers planted 49 new trees at Lions Town and Country Park that day.

The tree plantings were made possible through a donation from Tree Fresno and a Cal Fire Urban and Community Forestry grant. The program seeks to “improve the public’s understanding and appreciation of urban trees” and gives special consideration to disadvantaged communities, according to Cal Fire’s website.

“We spent a lot of man hours, time planning, involving Cal Fire and Tree Fresno and taking their time and energy, the community got involved,” Sanchez said. “It’s a real black eye to what we’re trying to accomplish here in Madera.”

McCombs said anyone with information can call the Madera Police Department or contact the department on Facebook Messenger. People with tips can choose to remain anonymous.