The aftermath of vandalism at the Meditation Garden near Murray Road and the Hammond Trail. [Photo provided by a reader.]

Last night, the Meditation Garden located on property belonging to the New Heart Community Church near the Hammond Trail in McKinleyville was vandalized. “It was my Eagle project,” explained Trent McGowan a sophomore at UC Davis. The benches and planter and plants were the culmination of McGowan’s Boy Scout leadership program and took him over a year to put together with the help of local businesses, classmates, his boy scout troop and others. 

“We did it in August of 2012,” he said. “I had a lot of help… . It was definitely a pretty huge process. It took a lot more work than I thought it would.”

Originally, the garden only had two benches but fairly recently, McGowan and his father put in two more. “There were daffodils and a tree… . Everything was donated by business. It turned out pretty well.”

Trent McGowan soon after the Meditation Garden was installed. [Photo provided by McGowan.]

McGowan described the vandalism as a “disappointment.” But, he said, the garden can be repaired. “It isn’t destroyed. We can fix it and put it back.” 

However, he explained, “It made me lose faith a little bit. It is meant for people to enjoy…  .”

“I’m actually at school at UC Davis,” McGowan said, “I’m 6 hours away. Logistically, I can’t get home to fix this.” But McGowan has no doubts the vandalism “will be fixed in the near future… . Recently someone in the church adopted the project. Most likely my father and they will fix it.”

When the garden is restored, he hopes the community will once again come down to the garden and “appreciate the beauty and think about life and think deep thoughts… .”

“This project has meant and still means a lot to me,” he said.