A history of natural burial by country

Canada

Mike Salisbury is a leading advocate of the natural burial movement in Canada and the current president of the Natural Burial Co-operativein Toronto. A full member of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architectsand the principalof Earthartist Landscape Architecture, Salisbury provides planning design and consultation to groups throughout North America involved in establishing new natural burial grounds. Featured in the 2005 CBC expose on the Canadian funeral industry “Outside the Box”, Salisbury has helped develop natural burial standardsthat encourage sustainabilityin the death care industry and facilitate ecological restorationand landscape level conservation.

United Kingdom

The first eco-cemetery was created at Carlisle Cemetery in the United Kingdomin 1993 and was calledwoodland burial. Since that date over 200 natural burial sites have been created in the UK making it one of the fastest growing environmental movements.

United States

Billy Campbell, a rural doctor, an environmentalist, and a pioneer in the Green Burial Movement in the USA, opened the first modern “green cemetery” in North America.

In 1998, he and his wife, Kimberley, opened the Ramsey Creek Preserve in upstate South Carolina. It specializes in burials that eschew embalming, traditional coffins, and headstonesin favor of a simpler, less costly, more natural approach. Graves are hand-dug, and instead of using expensive, finished coffins, the dead are buried in shroudsor a plain wooden box without a vaultor grave liner.

Joe Sehee is a leading advocate of the Green Burial Movement in the United States. Joe is the executive director of the Green Burial Council, a non-profitorganization he founded to encourage sustainabilityin the death care industry and to use the burial process as a means of facilitating ecological restorationand landscape level conservation.

The organization recently established the nation’s first certifiable standardsfor cemeteries, funeral providers, and cremations facilities. Conventional funeral providers in eight states will now be offering the Green Burial Council approved burial package, providing a way for consumer to identify death care professionals willing to assist them with environmentally conscious end-of-life rituals.

Tyler Cassity rose to prominence in the death care industry by taking a bankrupt cemetery in a borderline part of Los Angeles and turning it into Hollywood Forever, where he had movies projected on the side of Rudolph Valentino’s mausoleum, and displayed his “LifeStories,” which are A&E-style video biographies of the dead. Tyler Cassity has been involved in several films and has worked as a consultant on HBO’s Six Feet Under.

The Fernwood Burial Ground in Marin County’s Mill Valley dates from the 19th century and is adjacent to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Tyler Cassity’s Forever Enterprises purchased it in 2004. The Fernwood property is 32 acres with most of it set aside for natural burial with no tombstones or caskets. Instead, bodies are buried there in ways that aid natural decomposition, and survivors can locate their loved-ones’ burial site with a handheld device that contains a GPS location finder.

Mary Woodsen is a trustee and officer (president) of Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield, New York.

Mary also a long-time member of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, which protects 8,000 acres (32 km²) in the Finger Lakes and Southern Rivers regions, the Cayuga chapter of Keeping Track (a national organization working with local groups around the country that document the presence of keystone wildlife species in their areas, the better to inform decisions about local and regional land use), a task force looking at conservation zoning in her township of Danby, the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Society of Conservation Biology, and the National Association of Science Writers.

Greensprings Natural Cemetery was the third natural burial ground to be established in North America.[1] One-hundred acres of rolling hilltop meadows south of Cayuga Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Greensprings on Irish Hill is bounded by 4,000 acre (16 km²) Arnot Forest and 4,000 acre (16 km²) Newfield State Forest.

Mark Dahlby currently serves as executive director of the green burial land trust Trust for Natural Legacies . Trust for Natural Legacies is the first green cemetery organization to utilize eco-cemeteries as a conservation tool for traditional non-profit land trusts. Mark is also an attorney focusing on environmental, real estate and estate planning matters in Wisconsin, is the Conservation Chair of the Sierra Club’s John Muir Chapter and is a leader in environmental education in the state of Wisconsin. Mark previously worked with Joe Sehee, Mike Salisbury and others in moving forward the development of national standards for green burial practices.

In 2008, Theresa Kay Purcell and Nicole LaBissoniere formed the Natural Burial Project in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are currently heading the Minnesota Chapter of Trust for Natural Legacies and are working to establish the first conservation cemetery in the Midwest.

Gordon Maupin, Executive Director of The Wilderness Center, Inc. a nonprofit nature center and land trust in Ohio started Foxfield Preserve. Foxfield Preserve is the first nature preserve cemetery to be operated by a nonprofit conservation organization. Foxfield Preserve is formerly agricultural land. The Wilderness Center is restoring part of the site to native prairie grasses and wildflowers and reforesting part of the preserve. Foxfield Preserve is adjacent to The Wilderness Center’s 600-acre headquarters tract near Wilmot, Ohio.

External links

Organizations

• Centre for Natural Burial Information and resources supporting the global natural burial movement: a complete listing and description of natural burial cemeteries in North America Europe and the UK and a comprehensive archive of natural burial magazine and newspaper articles dating back to the mid 1990′s.
• The Green Burial Council Based in the USA, the Council is an independent, non-profit organization founded to encourage ethicaland sustainable practices in the death care industry and has established “Green Certified” protocols for cemetery site selection, memorial nature preserve operators, funeral providers and cremation facilities. The Center offers memberships for organizations meeting their stringent environmental standards.
• Memorial Ecosystems Formed in 1996 by Dr. Billy Campbell, Memorial Ecosystems offers consulting services in conservation Burial Set up and Start up, creating partnerships and joint ventures.
• Funeral HelpConsumers and industry experts providing information on the funeral process.
• Funeral Consumers Alliance Celebrating 40 years of protecting a consumer’s right to choose a meaningful, dignified, affordable funeral.
• Association of Natural Burial Grounds Based in the United Kingdom, this organization offers advice on “How To Set Up a Natural Burial Grounds” publishes a “Code of Practice” and offers a newsletter for members and several publications for the general public.
• Earthartist Landscape Architecture Specializes in the design and development of eco-cemeteries.

Wikipedia Eco-Cemetery

Conservation easements may allow for eco-cemeteries

“Burials on land are performed in special green cemeteries where all of the deceased have this type of interment. These cemeteries are known as conservation easements, or eco-cemeteries, and these lands are protected. A conservation easement is federally protected land that will not be used for land development purposes” http://dying.lovetoknow.com/Green_Burials

Standards applying to all levels:

1.    Customer relations criteria.

• a.     Representations made through websites, in marketing materials, to members of the media, as well as the naming of any affiliated businesses owned by the cemetery operator, must not have the effect of misleading the public or “blur the lines” between the different levels of GBC certified burial grounds.
• b.    Clients and families must be given the opportunity to be involved with the burial and ritual process so long as participation does not conflict with state law or with these protocols in form or substance.

2.    Funeral home criteria. A funeral home that operates on the premises of any GBC-certified Burial Ground must also be certified by the Green Burial Council.

3.    Legal criteria (except for Hybrid Burial Grounds). Adherence to the certification requirements at any level must be guaranteed by deed restriction, conservation easement, or other legally binding and irrevocable agreement.  Such agreement(s) must run with the land and be enforceable in perpetuity, equivalent to the force of requirements for perpetual maintenance of conventional cemeteries.  In some instances, the GBC will allow for nonprofit operators of to utilize cemetery “rules and regulations” as a means of memorializing the GBC approved protocols/practices.

LEVEL ONE: Hybrid Burial Grounds

• 1.    This facility shall not require the use of a vault (partial, inverted, or otherwise), a vault lid, concrete box, slab or partitioned liner. .
• 2.    Decedents cannot be required by cemetery policy to be embalmed.
• 3.    Eco-friendly burial containers of any kind are to be accommodated, including the use of shrouds.

LEVEL TWO: Low-Impact Burial Grounds

• 1.    The facility, or a designated portion of the facility, must be reserved for burial that does not require the use of a vault (partial, inverted, or otherwise), a vault lid, concrete box, slab or partitioned liner.
• 2.    Decedents are not to have been embalmed or embalmed only with GBC approved nontoxic chemicals.
• 3.    Burial containers are to be limited to those made from materials that are nontoxic/nonhazardous and natural/plant derived, with shrouds allowed.
• 4.    An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) must be implemented, so as to prohibit the use of pesticide other than instances where it is required to eradicate invasive species

LEVEL THREE: Natural Burial Grounds

1.    This facility must meet all of the requirements for Level Two, and additionally meet the following:

2.    Start-up criteria. A Natural Burial Ground must:

• a.     Conduct an assessment (to be done by an independent professional in the field of biology/restoration ecology) that identifies any issues related to endangered species of plants/animals, cultural resources, and hydrology
• b.    Develop a plan for limiting visitation to sensitive areas;
• c.     Develop a plan for limiting the types, sizes, and visibility of memorial markers/features to preserve or restore naturalistic vistas in the cemetery landscape and (where appropriate) to landmarks outside its borders
• 3.    Operations and management criteria. A Natural Burial Ground must:
• a.     Develop a plan for dealing with unauthorized grave decoration and landscaping
• b.    Develop a “systems and operations” manual to be given to all staff members, contractors, and volunteers that communicates the above criteria and the goals and methods of meeting them; and
• c.     Establish an endowment fund to ensure the long term maintenance of the land and its trail system by setting aside at least 5% of all burial plot sales.

LEVEL FOUR: Conservation Burial Grounds

1.    Meet the requirements for Level Two and additionally meet the following:

2.    Land criteria. A Conservation Burial Ground must:

• a.     Be contiguous to, or in a position to augment the conservation goals of an ecologically significant park, wildlife corridor, critical habitat area, or permanently protected open space; or (with appropriate management practices) be large enough on its own to be considered a landscape-level conservation effort
• b.    Operate only in areas of the property where burial would not degrade the land and the surrounding landscape
• c.     Be owned by, or operated in conjunction with a government agency or a nonprofit conservation organization that is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a public charity and in business for at least five years (the “conservation partner”).  The conservation partner must have legally binding responsibility for perpetual stewardship of the land, both in the operational facility and in the conservation area(s), and must set all conservation policies.
• d.    Utilize a deed restriction (if operator is a nonprofit conservation organization that has been established for at least five years) or a conservation easement that incorporates these standards.  A conservation easement must also conform to all provisions of the Internal Revenue Code Section 170(h) and provide for public access to and through the site, particularly to connect it to adjoining protected open space, to the extent public use of the property is compatible with ecological goals.

3.    Start-up criteria. A Conservation Burial Ground must:

• a.     Conduct a biological evaluation including baseline information on existing geology, hydrology, soils, and topography, and on both existing and potential vegetation and wildlife.  This evaluation must be used by the facility designers and operators to ensure that existing site resources are not degraded, and that the potential for re-introducing native species is given appropriate consideration in design and planning.
• b.    Conduct an evaluation to determine potential erosion issues and measures necessary to prevent them;
• c.     Develop a plan for limiting visitation to sensitive areas as well as policies for families who choose “back country” or “off trail” burial; and
• d.    Compile a plant list for use as memorial features for every area or “zone” of the property where burial will take place, and a list of plants appropriate for use in restoration and/or preservation of native vegetation.

4.    Operations and management criteria. A Conservation Burial Ground must:

• a.     Develop a plan for using native plants and for protecting or rescuing locally rare plants
• b.    Establish an endowment fund to ensure the long term maintenance of the land and its trail system by setting aside at least 5% of all burial plot sales;
• c.     Utilize excavation and burial techniques/technology that minimizes impacts on surrounding land, and protect native plant diversity.

http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/standards_burial_grounds.php

“Natural lands owned by the government can always be sold. Tools utilized by the conservation community, such as easements, are relatively untested. There is no guarantee that a group may exist in 100 years to enforce an easement. Cemetery lands, however, are protected against disturbing activities by State law. What’s more, if a cemetery organization no longer exists, the local government is often required to take over and protect the cemetery. Because these cemeteries are also public green spaces, it’s a win-win situation for everyone.” http://www.naturallegacies.org/whatwedo/natural_burial.html

CAMPBELL PRINCIPLES FOR GREEN AND CONSERVATION BURIAL- Developed by G.W. “Billy” Campbell M.D.

I. Green burial in a setting devoid of significant conservation value or aesthetic.  “Green burial” describes the actual burial process, but the setting itself need not contribute to conservation. The minimum standards:

• 1.      No embalming fluids
• 2.      Biodegradable casket (but no endangered tropical woods, etc.)
• 3.      No Vault

Simple green burial could occur in a contemporary cemetery or church yard. The process does not waste the resources as in most contemporary burials and does not introduce toxics. The cemetery environment could still be poor habitat for wildlife and native flora. The grave appearance could include pea gravel and large granite grave markers, grass mono cultures, or showy exotic (even invasive) plants.

At the minimum end of this level, the net effect on conservation for such a burial ground could be negative, and have little social value beyond the cemetery function (and could be seen as a detriment to local neighborhoods). These projects can include very high density-1,000 or more per acre, and could have non-green burials intermingled.

The highest standards for this level would involve no net degradation of existing wild areas, and could provide some minimal habitat for native fauna. They could also have enhanced social value. The criteria:

• 1) No degradation of existing areas with conservation value.
• 2) Avoiding landscaping with invasive plants that could be spread outside the confines of the cemetery, or those plants that destroy remnant habitat within the project.
• 3) Creative approaches for creating learning opportunities and other social benefits.
• 4) Could include landscaping with non-invasive, non-native plants that provide habitat for nesting birds or food sources (not including invasive seeds) for birds and other animals.

We would not  include sites such as Singing Hills in San Diego that degraded habitat and that require contemporary, non-green burial, but that also “protect” an adjacent non-developable tract (see hybrid discussion below). Also not included is the scenario of a contemporary cemetery switching to all native landscaping within the cemetery itself, as laudable as that is. The general area of greening up contemporary cemeteries is a worthwhile topic, and will be covered to some extent in the section on hybrids.

II. Green Burial in a Natural Setting.

The minimum standards:

• 1) Green burial
• 2) Diversity of native flora and fauna in the burial area is maintained or enhanced.
• 3) Good initial biological surveys
• 4) Careful in-site planning for trails and interment areas

The main difference between these projects and the next level is the intrinsic conservation value of the land itself.  Size is generally the limiting factor, although in special cases small areas might be considered critical habitat. Most of the projects in the UK, for example, are less than 5 acres, and are often the back end of an existing cemetery, or an acre or two on a working farm. While a 5 acre site can have significant conservation and social value (a scenic promontory overlooking the ocean, backing into a national park, for example), in general, anything under 15 acres is problematic-particularly if burial density is low, and the endowment possibilities are limited.

At the lower end of this standard, a new cemetery on an existing row crop area might have densities that approach contemporary cemeteries-the overall conservation value is enhanced compared to the bare soil that it was. Family cemeteries in the country generally fit this definition.

Smaller areas can have a problem with long term management funding if they follow low density burial rules (this can be mitigated by a greater dependence on ashes scattering and burial, large donor endowments or endowments from other sources).

These projects might have great social value as “pocket parks” for neighborhoods (particularly traditional neighborhood developments and new-urbanist towns and villages), providing special benefits for those living within 5 minutes walk time. They could help expand the total green area in these communities and/or provide linkage to larger natural areas.

Enhancing the ecological and social value of a project  to produce the highest standards could involve:

• 1) Linking with a larger “sister preserve”.
• 2) Linking with neighborhood sacred space/chapels.
• 3) Expanding educational opportunities through revelatory landscape design and linkages with area schools.
• 4) Playing a role in conservation of rare plants or animals-for example by “growing out” an endangered species of plant on graves, with the excess production of seeds or plants used to restore other landscapes.
• 5) Periodic outside biological audits.

III. Conservation Burial

The minimal standards:

• 1) Green burial.
• 2) All of the other requirements of “green burial in a natural setting” including highest standards
• 3) Projects have a high degree of intrinsic social and ecological value.
• 4) Overall low burial density compared to contemporary burial.
• 5) Long term covenants or deed restrictions to ensure conservation values retained.

As mentioned in standard II, the main difference is generally size. Larger landscapes can host a range of biological processes and social activities that smaller projects cannot. In a small space, creating a chapel, visitor center, artist-in-residence cabin, and handicapped accessible garden could easily overpower any “natural” aesthetic;  the need to create an endowment to keep such infrastructure long term would be difficult without very dense burials. In general, these sites will be 100 acres or more.

Memorial landscapes should not be defined by the green burials that occur within them. Generally, 90% or more of the surface area should be free of graves and infrastructure. The burial function would be an important part of the site’s identity and sense of place, but not the overwhelmingly dominant identity.

Specific steps to ensure that projects protect and enhance biological and social value (and that lead to excellence) :

• 1) Land selection criteria based on conservation science and community needs (3).
• 2) Visitor controls. Emphasis on quality of experience, not quantity-particularly in “back country” areas (4).
• 3) Association with a regional, landscape level conservation effort, ideally contiguous with a larger “core” natural area.
• 4) Thoughtful design and management to ensure that different uses do not conflict  with each other.
• 5) Permanent staff who know and love the site.
• 6) Development of volunteer corps.
• 7) Active programs for education, arts, scientific research
• 8) Development of rituals that bind natural and human communities.
• 9) Strong affiliations with community-based institutions, including those with conservation, education, scientific, religious or art based missions. This affiliation could involve ownership or co-ownership by these institutions.
• 10) A high degree of public transparency.

Larger projects can include a more “tame” visitors area/ceremonial center that will be more attractive for some potential clients

Cremations.  Those seeking a simpler, less expensive and more environmentally friendly funeral and burial alternative often choose cremation. Cremation does use fossil fuels and in and of its self does not save land from development, nor protect or restore wildlife habitat. Projects like those of Eternal Reefs are notable exceptions. All levels of green burial projects can include cremated remains, and indeed some projects might require a heavy dependence on cremated remains to protect sensitive sites or to make the project economically viable.

A.       A percentage of the sales price goes into a permanent endowment for the care of the space. Once native vegetation is in place, it is free to grow-that is the point. The endowment will mainly function to keep trails and public spaces open. It will also help keep invasive species at bay, and help in special circumstances (after a natural disaster, for example). State laws are also specific about banning development of dedicated cemeteries. Ramsey Creek is now protected by a conservation easment with Upstate Forever, the largest land-trust in upstate South Carolina (now protecting over 9,000 acres).

The use of conservation easements to protect private land from development has become increasingly popular in the last decade. In the United States, more than 17,000 easements currently protect more than 5 million acres of open space, including forests, farms, and ranches. In addition to protecting valuable natural areas, these easements can offer numerous tax benefits to the landowner. Conservation easements can take many forms and are granted in order to achieve a variety of objectives. Common uses of conservation easements include wildlife corridors, which connect habitatthat has been fragmented by human development, and protection of natural areas deemed critical or irreplaceable.

In essence, a conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner (the grantor) and aland trust or government entity (the grantee). The agreement restricts land use and development on a specific parcel in order to preserve in perpetuity its natural state and conservation values. The agreement gives the right of enforcement of the restrictions to the grantee, and conveys to the grantee the responsibility of stewardship of the easement. Typically, landowners are compensated for giving up their development rights, either directly if the easement is sold, or through income tax deductions equal to the difference between the land value with the easement and the value without it. In order to qualify as tax-deductible, an easement must benefit the public through permanent protection of valuable natural resources in addition to meeting other federal tax code requirements.

Green Burial Council Standards

The Green Burial Council certifies four categories of cemeteries:

• 1.    Hybrid Burial Grounds
• 2.    Low-Impact Burial Grounds
• 3.    Natural Burial Grounds
• 4.    Conservation Burial Grounds

The order in which these categories are listed and discussed reflects increasing requirements to meet the particular standard. Each level of certification is in addition to the previous-level(s) requirements.

Hybrid Burial Grounds are conventional cemeteries offering the option for burial without the need for a vault (partial, inverted or otherwise), A vault lid, concrete box, slab or partitioned liner. Hybrid Burial Grounds shall not require the embalming of decedents and must allow for any kind of eco-friendly burial containers including shrouds.

Low-Impact Burial Grounds require the adoption of burial and operational practices that are non-toxic and energy-conserving. These facilities may lie within a dedicated section of a conventional cemetery, or make up an entirely separate cemetery. A Low-Impact Burial Ground achieves GBC certification by prohibiting the use of vaults (partial, inverted or otherwise), vault lids, concrete boxes, slabs or partitioned liners, and by prohibiting the burial of decedents embalmed with toxic chemicals, as well as banning burial containers not made from natural/plant derived materials. In addition, a Low-Impact Burial Ground must have in place a program of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Natural Burial Grounds require adherence to all the Low-Impact Burial Ground practices/protocols and be designed, operated and maintained to produce a naturalistic appearance, based on use of plants and materials native to the region, and patterns of landscape derived from and compatible with regional ecosystems.  Such landscapes may be part of ecological restoration, but for this level of certification complete restoration is not a requirement.

Conservation Burial Grounds, in addition to meeting all the requirements for a Natural Burial Ground, must further legitimate land conservation.  A Conservation Burial Ground must protect in perpetuity an area of land specifically and exclusively designated for conservation.  A conservation burial ground must involve an established conservation organization that holds a conservation easement or has in place a deed restriction guaranteeing long-term stewardship.

The main difference between these projects and the next level is the intrinsic conservation value of the land itself.  Size is generally the limiting factor, although in special cases small areas might be considered critical habitat. Most of the projects in the UK, for example, are less than 5 acres, and are often the back end of an existing cemetery, or an acre or two on a working farm. While a 5 acre site can have significant conservation and social value (a scenic promontory overlooking the ocean, backing into a national park, for example), in general, anything under 15 acres is problematic-particularly if burial density is low, and the endowment possibilities are limited.

At the lower end of this standard, a new cemetery on an existing row crop area might have densities that approach contemporary cemeteries-the overall conservation value is enhanced compared to the bare soil that it was. Family cemeteries in the country generally fit this definition.

Smaller areas can have a problem with long term management funding if they follow low density burial rules (this can be mitigated by a greater dependence on ashes scattering and burial, large donor endowments or endowments from other sources).

These projects might have great social value as “pocket parks” for neighborhoods (particularly traditional neighborhood developments and new-urbanist towns and villages), providing special benefits for those living within 5 minutes walk time. They could help expand the total green area in these communities and/or provide linkage to larger natural areas.

Enhancing the ecological and social value of a project  to produce the highest standards could involve:

1) Linking with a larger “sister preserve”.

2) Linking with neighborhood sacred space/chapels.

3) Expanding educational opportunities through revelatory landscape design and linkages with area schools.

4) Playing a role in conservation of rare plants or animals-for example by “growing out” an endangered species of plant on graves, with the excess production of seeds or plants used to restore other landscapes.

5) Periodic outside biological audits.

III. Conservation Burial

The minimal standards:

• 1) Green burial.
• 2) All of the other requirements of “green burial in a natural setting” including highest standards
• 3) Projects have a high degree of intrinsic social and ecological value.
• 4) Overall low burial density compared to contemporary burial.
• 5) Long term covenants or deed restrictions to ensure conservation values retained.

As mentioned in standard II, the main difference is generally size. Larger landscapes can host a range of biological processes and social activities that smaller projects cannot. In a small space, creating a chapel, visitor center, artist-in-residence cabin, and handicapped accessible garden could easily overpower any “natural” aesthetic;  the need to create an endowment to keep such infrastructure long term would be difficult without very dense burials. In general, these sites will be 100 acres or more.

Memorial landscapes should not be defined by the green burials that occur within them. Generally, 90% or more of the surface area should be free of graves and infrastructure. The burial function would be an important part of the site’s identity and sense of place, but not the overwhelmingly dominant identity.

Specific steps to ensure that projects protect and enhance biological and social value (and that lead to excellence) :

• 1) Land selection criteria based on conservation science and community needs (3).
• 2) Visitor controls. Emphasis on quality of experience, not quantity-particularly in “back country” areas (4).
• 3) Association with a regional, landscape level conservation effort, ideally contiguous with a larger “core” natural area.
• 4) Thoughtful design and management to ensure that different uses do not conflict  with each other.
• 5) Permanent staff who know and love the site.
• 6) Development of volunteer corps.
• 7) Active programs for education, arts, scientific research
• 8) Development of rituals that bind natural and human communities.
• 9) Strong affiliations with community-based institutions, including those with conservation, education, scientific, religious or art based missions. This affiliation could involve ownership or co-ownership by these institutions.
• 10) A high degree of public transparency.

Larger projects can include a more “tame” visitors area/ceremonial center that will be more attractive for some potential clients

Cremations.  Those seeking a simpler, less expensive and more environmentally friendly funeral and burial alternative often choose cremation. Cremation does use fossil fuels and in and of its self does not save land from development, nor protect or restore wildlife habitat. Projects like those of Eternal Reefs are notable exceptions. All levels of green burial projects can include cremated remains, and indeed some projects might require a heavy dependence on cremated remains to protect sensitive sites or to make the project economically viable.

A percentage of the sales price goes into a permanent endowment for the care of the space. Once native vegetation is in place, it is free to grow-that is the point. The endowment will mainly function to keep trails and public spaces open. It will also help keep invasive species at bay, and help in special circumstances (after a natural disaster, for example). State laws are also specific about banning development of dedicated cemeteries. Ramsey Creek is now protected by a conservation easment with Upstate Forever, the largest land-trust in upstate South Carolina (now protecting over 9,000 acres).

Eco-Burial Organizations:

• Trust for natural legacies
• Center for natural burial
• Association of natural burial grounds
• Forest of Memories
• Memorial Ecosystems
• Green Burial Council

• [i] Haider, Rizvi. “Mahogany coffins.” All Business. Multinational Monitor, 01 NOV 1995. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

• [ii]“Casket Design.” Casket and Funeral Supply Association of America. CSFA, 2003. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

• [iii]“Buy a Biodegradable Casket.” Green Your. Creative Commons, 2010. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

• [iv] ”Choose Cremation.” Green Your. Creative Commons, 2010. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

• [v] Rhett, Butler. ” Deforestation in the Amazon.” Mongabay. Mongabay, 2008. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

• [vi] Ismi, Asad, and Kristen Schwartz. “Path of Destruction: Canadian Mining Companies Around the World.” A-Info’s Radio Project, 14 May 2009. Web. 3 Apr 2010.

• [vii] Hoffman, Chelsea. “List of Trees in the Amazon Rainforest.” Garden Guides. 2010. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

• [viii] Amin, Harris. “Brazilian Nut.” Quazen. Quazen, 25 Jan 2010. Web. 1 Apr 2010.

Existing U.S. Conservation Cemeteries:

1. • Memorial Ecosystems
   • Forest of Memories
   • Green Burial Council
   • Trust for Natural Legacies
   • Centre for Natural Burial
   • Association of Natural Burial Grounds
   • Fernwood Burial Ground - Mill Valley, CA
   • Ramsey Creek Preserve - Westminster, SC
   • Honey Creek Woodlands - Conyers, GA
   • Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve - DeFuniak Springs, FL
   • Cedar Brook Burial Ground - Limington, ME
   • The Commonweal Conservancy - Santa Fe, NM
   • Greenspring Natural Cemetery Preserve- Newfield, NY
   • The Ethician Family Cemetery - TX
   • Foxfield Preserve - Wilmot, OH
   • White Eagle Memorial Preserve - Goldendale, WA
   • Rainbow’s End - South Orrington, ME
   • Mother Rest Sacred Grove (proposed) – Blaine, WA
   • Prairie Wilderness Cemetery (proposed) – Denver, CO
   • Natural Burial Co-operative
   • Olney Green Burial Ground, UK
   • Green Lane Burial Field Powys Wales

Organizations

• Centre for Natural BurialInformation and resources supporting the global natural burial movement: a complete listing and description of natural burial cemeteries in North America Europe and the UK and a comprehensive archive of natural burial magazine and newspaper articles dating back to the mid 1990′s.
• The Green Burial CouncilBased in the USA, the Council is an independent, non-profitorganization founded to encourage ethicaland sustainablepractices in the death care industry and has established “Green Certified” protocols for cemetery site selection, memorial nature preserve operators, funeral providers and cremation facilities. The Center offers memberships for organizations meeting their stringent environmental standards.
• Memorial EcosystemsFormed in 1996 by Dr. Billy Campbell, Memorial Ecosystems offers consulting services in conservation Burial Set up and Start up, creating partnerships and joint ventures.
• Funeral HelpConsumers and industry experts providing information on the funeral process.
• Funeral Consumers AllianceCelebrating 40 years of protecting a consumer’s right to choose a meaningful, dignified, affordable funeral.
• Association of Natural Burial GroundsBased in the United Kingdom, this organization offers advice on “How To Set Up a Natural Burial Grounds” publishes a “Code of Practice” and offers a newsletter for members and several publications for the general public.
• Earthartist Landscape ArchitectureSpecializes in the design and development of eco-cemeteries.

Related Websites.

• http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Eco-cemetery
• Conservation easements may allow for eco-cemeteries.
• Land Trust Alliance: To learn more about conservation easements and land trusts in your area.
• Article: Real Estate, Conservation and Ecology
• Legal terms of conservation easements including how they can be broken, etc
• http://www.memorialecosystems.com/FAQs/tabid/55/Default.aspx
• Green cemetries in the USA.
• Memorial Ecosystems
• How can we be sure that the grave site will be protected from development in the future, or from getting “overgrown”?
• http://www.forestofmemories.org/eco_burial.htm
• Tree Urn