Arsonists have decimated a Forest School created for children.
The vandals destroyed hours of work by dedicated volunteers from the Kent Wildlife Trust at Sevenoaks Nature Reserve.
Tutors have been left devastated after equipment was set on fire, and benches and teaching equipment were broken into pieces.
The area had been built over several weeks by volunteers at Sevenoaks Visitor Centre. Since its creation, it has been enjoyed by hundreds of children.
The damage was discovered on Friday (June 14) and has been reported to the police.
The cost to replace the property is estimated to be around £2,000 but more valuable is the time that will be needed for the volunteers to recreate the forest school area, which will take several weeks.
Forest School is an educational approach that places nature at the core of learning.
Its ethos is rooted in the belief that outdoor experiences provide a rich and holistic environment for children's development.
It emphasises hands-on learning in a woodland setting - encouraging curiosity, creativity, and resilience.
Kent Wildlife Trust uses the dedicated area for toddlers, school children, home-educated youngsters and, on occasion, pensioners.
While the team admits the arson has set them back, they have vowed to build back stronger for the benefit of the community.
Tom White, education manager at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: “This is a huge blow, and highlights the disconnect with nature some people feel, which is also the very thing we are trying to address through Forest School.
“We are now in the process of rebuilding this area. No child should miss out on these amazing experiences at the hands of a thoughtless minority, and we look forward to our next session.
“Sadly, this is not the first time we have experienced issues on this site, just a few months ago we were victims of burglary, and whilst we have invested in security, those in rural communities are unfortunately more likely to be victims of this kind of crime.
“If anyone would like to help us, they can volunteer or donate to our nature nightmares campaign.”
Despite the vandalism, Forest School activities are still running at Kent Wildlife Trust.
If anyone has any information that may help police, call their witness appeal line on 01622 604100 quoting crime reference number 46/98505/24.
