HOLLAND — Almost every Holland resident has been to and explored Centennial Park at one time or another.

Located a couple of streets south of downtown Holland, the park has a rich history and has been home to countless Tulip Time events and, more recently, became the home of the Wizard of Oz garden.

One significant piece of Centennial Park was a large 150-year-old elm tree.

Last year, when the city’s parks and recreation team ultimately cut the tree down, they began thinking of new and creative ways to use the wood.

In the past, through partnerships with local organizations, wood has been used on local playgrounds, for trim and wainscoting in city offices, and other woodworking projects.

This time, Deputy Parks Director Jamie Scott suggested a partnership with the Holland Bowl Mill.

“Our forestry team reached out to the bowl mill, and figured out what they would need in terms of the size of the log — our elm tree in Centennial Park fit the bill,” said Andy Kenyon, parks and recreation director for the city of Holland. “We had the log dropped, and took big chunks of it to them.”

Kory Gier and the team at Holland Bowl Mill worked their magic and created 150 handmade bowls, each engraved with a unique number and label. The bowls range in diameter from six inches to 17 inches, and are now available for sale at 120 James St. in Holland and at The Seasoned Home on Eighth Street.

“When they reached out and said they were taking down a big Rock Elm tree in Centennial Park, they asked if we could use it,” Gier said. “We said, 'Yes, absolutely. That would be incredible.'”

Gier said the city dropped off two eight-foot pieces of the tree. When it arrived, it was slightly drier than the mill wanted. After rehydrating the logs, they began the process of trimming them down.

Gier said partnering with the city on the project made perfect sense for the business, which operates as a zero-waste facility.

“We're all about sustainability here and zero waste and to see something that meant so much to the community, something that so many people were familiar with having been there for 150 years, we are so proud that they can bring it to us and we can give it a new life,” Gier said.

To truly go zero-waste, the company uses every inch of the wood, creating bowls of all different sizes along with utensils, wooden snowmen, Michigan-shaped bowls, charcuterie boards and other items.

Wood that can’t be used is sold as firewood — and even the wood shavings are saved and sent to local farmers.

Mark Armstrong has worked at the Holland Bowl Mill for nine years and is now a production manager at the facility. Armstrong worked directly with the Rock Elm, ensuring none of it went to waste.

“When you hear the story behind it and how it's become part of the city of Holland, we immediately thought about how many bowls and other things we could get out of it,” Armstrong said. “We enjoy seeing what we can get out of projects like this and everybody was able to get involved on this one.”

Armstrong and Gier said the Holland Bowl Mill has worked on projects similar to this and even partnered with Hope College when they removed a few trees on campus. They plan to continue these projects and hope to partner with golf courses and other businesses in the area.

“This allows us to tell the story of the tree, and keep its legacy going,” Kenyon said. “If you were to buy one of the bowls made with the tree, it would be a wonderful conversation piece around the dinner table and hopefully shows people that the city cares a ton for our urban forest — while the trees are alive and after they are taken down.”

— Contact freelancer Austin Metz at ametz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ancient elm from Centennial Park reborn at Holland Bowl Mill