The person responsible for damaging more than 200 young pine trees at Oamaru's Cape Wanbrow has turned herself in after apparently making an honest mistake.
About a week after an article on the damage appeared in the Otago Daily Times on April 2, the Waitaki District Council received an anonymous phone call from a woman who confessed to the tree damage, council parks officer Mike Kwant said.
The woman thought the plants had self-seeded and that she was doing a public good by pulling them out, he said.
"It wasn't done out of malice. It was done for the greater good, in her eyes, for the re-establishment of natives on the cape.''
The woman had since identified herself to the council, although Mr Kwant declined to name her.
He said she felt terrible about what she had done and was going to work with council staff in either a replanting or other gardening operation.
Since last April, 8000 pines and 4000 native trees have been planted on several hectares on the cape by council staff and volunteers at public planting days.
In late March, the council began receiving reports of trees being uprooted or cut.
Mr Kwant was relieved the problem had been resolved.
