As seen in The Director

August 2008

The Director - Features

Natural Burial: Simple and Meaningful

A natural burial is a statement of personal values for many people who seek to minimize their impact on the planet. Includes NFDA’s “Green Funeral Release and Indemnification” form.

A modern natural burial is an environmentally sustainable alternative to existing funeral practices where the body is returned to the earth to decompose naturally and be recycled into new life. 

The body is prepared for burial without chemical preservatives and is buried in a simple shroud or biodegradable casket that might be made from locally harvested wood, wicker or even recycled paper, perhaps even decorated with goodbye messages from friends. 

A natural burial ground often uses grave markers that don’t intrude on the landscape. These natural markers can include shrubs and trees, an engraved flat stone native to the area or a centralized memorial structure set within the emerging forest that provides places for visitors to sit. As in all cemeteries, there are careful records kept of the exact location of each interment, often using modern survey techniques such as GIS (geographic information system).

Planting native trees, shrubs and flowers on or near the grave establishes a living memorial and helps form a protected wildlife preserve. A completed natural burial preserve is a green place with trees, grasses and wildflowers, which in turn bring birds and other wildlife to the area. These sacred and natural places leave a legacy of care and respect for our planet. 

Irrigation is not used, nor are pesticides and herbicides applied; instead, a natural burial preserve protects and restores nature while establishing a place where family and friends can visit and be at peace. 

Cemetery legislation protects natural burial preserves in perpetuity from future development, while the establishment of a conservation easement prevents future owners from altering the original intent for these burial grounds. 

Natural burial is a statement of personal values for many people who seek to minimize their impact on the planet. For people who are mindful of the cyclical nature of life, natural burial is a spiritually fulfilling alternative to the conventional funeral. 

Reprinted courtesy of The Centre for Natural Burial, www.naturalburial.coop, under the Creative Commons License.

Natural Burial in Your Area

To locate an existing or proposed natural burial preserve in your area, The Centre for Natural Burial provides the following links:

• Africa and Asia: The Centre for Natural Burial’s Website currently states that this information is “coming soon.”
• Canada: As of March 1, 2008, The Centre for Natural Burial indicated that it is working to secure Canada’s first natural burial site approximately 150 kilometers (approximately 93 miles) northwest of Toronto.
• United Kingdom: http://naturalburial.coop/UK
• United States: http://naturalburial.coop/USA