An open letter to whoever is vandalizing the Native Garden:

We condemn the vandalism in the Native Garden.

We have witnessed the intentional cutting of mature native plants and uprooting of newly planted native plants. We know that someone has been doing this since at least Feb. 23 and most recently over the April 7/8 weekend.

The vandalism has been reported to Mercer Island Parks Department personnel and to the Mercer Island Police Department.

If you are participating in this vandalism, for whatever reason you are telling yourself it is OK to do it, it is not ok. It is illegal and it violates the code of ethics that our community supports, which includes respect for one another, for public and private property and for our parks and public lands.

As residents of Mercer Island and thus as part owners of its public parks, we appeal now to your conscience. We ask you to stop the vandalism and to think about making reparations for the damage you have done.

Meg Lippert and Paul Shoemaker

Mercer Island