Last updated 7 years ago by UtrechtCentral.com

Century old trees in the forest areas around Utrecht receive a second existence in the form of tables that are truly “one-of-a-kind”.

Custom designed. each come with their very own booklet containing personal stories based on observations and experiences of those who watched them grow during their lifetime. Trees of such caliber are more often turned into firewood or sawdust.

One tree traces its origins back more than three centuries. An elderly man who wrote part of one of the booklets reflects on his very first kiss near one of the ancients.

This is one of the most unique occurrences where trees have been transformed in such a historically personified manner. Trees around the university city of Utrecht, if not damaged by some kind of natural disaster, are regularly scheduled for removal due to urban expansion or because they ware simply too aged to carry on.

The company behind the initiative is Tafelboom (Dutch for “table tree”). Associate Egbert Boerma told AFP, “With every tree taken out, there’s always a bit of neighborhood history that goes missing. We aim to keep some of that history”.

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