Bonsai Trees Stolen From Local Collector
Thieves have stolen several valuable plants from Kim Chamberlain, President of the Humboldt Bonsai Society. Chamberlain told us,
Over the last year I have had a problem with theft of my bonsai collection on Newburg Rd in Fortuna. After losing five trees, I had to build a fence with a locked gate to deter this from occurring. Recently I have had intruders reach through the fence to steal more trees. On May 10 and May 12, 2020. The Bonsai were lifted over the gap in the fence and the pots were left behind, this is very unfortunate for these trees are in a specialized environment in their pots. Root exposure, for a prolonged period, for these trees is lethal. They also need specialized care to maintain. I put a lot of money, time and materials into this hobby and preside over the local club to further bring Bonsai knowledge to Humboldt.
One tree was a cryptomeria with a slender trunk and flat root base. It stood approximately 20”-26” tall, green spiky foliage, and had copper wire wrapped around the branches which needs to be removed soon. This tree was approximately 35 years old
The more valuable Juniper was my prized tree that is slated to go into a professional class with me. It has a contorted trunk and green foliage with some deadwood at the base. This tree is between 100 and 200 years old and was legally collect from the wild. It is a valuable piece that was destined to be way more valuable once I worked it. Please contact me with any information on these trees
If you have any information about the theft, please contact Kim Chamberlain at [email protected].
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another corona death
Some people are just a real POS.
Is there a bonsai black market? Simple tweaker crime or something more sinister?
🕯🌳No there’s a ring of idiot’s in Fortuna that don’t care were they get there stuff along this line. The ladies that take care of the parklets on main street go through the same problem at this time of year. Looks like they’ve upped their game.🐸🌍🖖They sometimes get the homeless to do their dirty work for that reason of video, homeless girl just used a $100 bill at Bev’s today when she was broke two days ago. 👁👁🐎🇺🇸
Don’t let Fortuna become another shit hole of Humboldt county ! It’s one of the last nice places left
If you’re blind, or an old white person.
Fortuna the unfriendly city.
They are on video as being local homeless people. I have another tree I am interested in recovering, taken two days before, that she didn’t post a pic of. Its a cryptomeria about 2 ft. slender trunk and copper wire on the branches
This is so sad. With the amount of work needed to create and maintain one of these trees, it must be like losing a family member. I hope that they are recovered and healthy.
Traded for a line of crank. I agree guest. Sad indeed. Beautiful work of art.
Sorry for your loss Kim. I am posting this news on the bonsai sale online and online bonsai auction to alert people on the look out for your trees. Hope you can find them soon.
That’s unfortunate. I always wanted to learn how to “create” a bonsai. Maybe to further deter these a-holes you could put in an electric fence or maybe a motion sensor sprinkler system. Or camp out with a rifle
My first thought was that it was either Mr. Miyagi or Daniel-San since they too had a passion for Bonsai trees, but then it occurred to me that it would be out of character for them to steal. So that brought me to someone who is out looking for revenge without caring for the well-being of a beautiful tree. I’m thinking either Johnny Lawrence or his Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese.
In all seriousness though … that just angers me! 🤬
This is horrifying… not just the theft of a plant, but of hours of care and training and love. These are irreplaceable. I hope they are found/returned and the thieves apprehended.
Heartless.
Apparently Bonsai doesn’t have the wonderful, time’consuming meaning to the very greedy. Whether it be sales for drugs, or just for the money, it is a sad representation of our society. I’m not preaching, yet does anyone agree, that if the parents {and even grandparents} taught this generation the Golden Rule of; do to others as you would want them to do to you, and the ten Commandments, perhaps
we would have a more respectful generation X. For I too, do Bonsai, with the manager of Heron Bonsai, through YouTube, from the U.K. He would love your bonsai that you have so painstakingly worked on, Kim. For he works year-round, on 70 acres +, in the U.K. He must be in his late 60’s, early 70’s. A respectful, Chinese gentleman. Apologies for going so far afield. All we (some of us) will do is pray for a concience <spelled wrong] in these sad and greedy people.
Good luck, blessings, and may U get these back, alive.
Hope they find both trees and scumbags that took them. Maybe the jail staff could be public servants this time and not governor buttkissers and keep them this time.
do you even live here?
Yes I do. The current Sheriff has been worthless since day one. I know him personally. He bucked the governor on something simple like beach closure, but hasn’t done anything to keep prisoners behind bars, which would actually be doing something for the people. The DA office isn’t bucking this either. I’m sick of this crap. And they are all still collecting a taxpayer salary.
I don’t believe that “jail staff” have any control over who stays and who goes. I’m sure that they would rather not let criminals back into the community.
Liberal democrats let criminals out of jail. Plain n simple.
Why does every comment thread have to end up with “Democrats suck”? Grow up, this is about trees not a place for your political opinions.
Liberal democrat lawmakers and the voters that put them there are the ones that let criminals out of jail. Plain n simple.
Psychotic babbling, plain and simple.
Put up HD Arlo cameras. Saw them on sale at Costco today… $300 for 3 cameras at Costco.
Maybe an environmentalist decided it was being tortured and that it needed to be put back in its natural environment without copper wire wrapped around it. What you consider a hobby, another considers an atrocity. Not me, it’s just a little old tree in a pot. Sorry for your loss.
This is terrible. My heart goes out to you. I had to bolt my trees to a bench. Can’t even enjoy a hobby without worrying about someone stealing your work. Hopefully you get your trees back. 🤞🏻