Pennsylvania Pennsylvania’s landscapes are as varied as the people who call it home , from Appalachian ridgelines and rolling Amish farmland to the quiet forests that turn golden each fall. It’s a state where the connection between people and place runs deep, and where a growing number of families are rediscovering the simple wisdom of returning naturally to the earth. Across the state, green and hybrid burial grounds are beginning to take root, from forest preserves to family-run cemeteries choosing sustainability over excess. These spaces remind us that care for the dead and care for the land can be one and the same. They offer peace, biodiversity, and affordability, all while reconnecting end-of-life care to the rhythms of nature that Pennsylvanians have cherished for generations. 🌿The Woods Edge Green Burial at Paxtang Cemetery (hybrid) - Harrisburg, PA Peaceful and private, The Ellipse is surrounded by a variety of mature trees and shrubs. In place of individual monuments, a granite ledger for communal inscriptions of names of the deceased is located in the area’s center to best preserve its natural setting. Every grave space in The Ellipse allows for one full body burial or two sets of cremated remains. Both full body and cremation interments take place without the use of any type of permanent outer container. Historical Paxtang Cemetery was established in 1898 on what used to be the Thomas Rutherford Farm on Paxtang Ave. There are thirty-three beautiful acres of rolling hills, gentle slopes and level lands. Twelve wooded acres are dedicated to the Green Burial area called The Wood's Edge. The property adjoins the Capital Area Greenbelt on the west side and Paxtang Ave. on the East Side. There have been close to 12,000 interments in the cemetery over the last 126 years and lots of room for future expansion for another 126 years. Since 2006 Paxtang Cemetery has been a family-owned by Alesia and James Skinner. It is unique to the area with its beautiful perennial gardens located throughout and a breathtaking view of three neighboring mountainsides from the summit. It is also the only green burial certified cemetery in Central Pennsylvania where every burial takes part in restoration of our PA native forest. Paxtang Cemetery is blessed with beautiful and natural surroundings that are unlike any other cemetery in Central Pennsylvania; managed by a 10-year plan to continue to enhance this beautiful park with yet more gardens and other projects to meet the diverse needs of our families. Come and visit and see what makes Paxtang Cemetery so special. 🌿Penn Forest Natural Cemetery - Verona, PA Just outside Pittsburgh, in the wooded hills of Penn Hills, lies Penn Forest Natural Burial Park, Pennsylvania’s first and only exclusively natural burial ground. Spread across 31 acres of forest and meadow bordered by Plum Creek, Penn Forest offers a serene, eco-conscious resting place where every burial contributes to the renewal of the land. Since 2011, Penn Forest has been certified by the Green Burial Council, maintaining some of the nation’s highest environmental standards. Ten acres are permanently preserved as wildlife habitat, ensuring that each interment not only honors a life, but also supports native ecosystems and biodiversity. Penn Forest welcomes people of all faiths, offering both full-body and cremated remains burials, as well as scattering among native wildflowers. No vaults, embalming, or synthetic materials are used, only biodegradable shrouds and caskets, returning the body naturally to the soil. 🌿Nature’s Sanctuary at Laurel HIll West Cemetery (hybrid) - Philadelphia, PA Nature’s Sanctuary is our award-winning green burial area at Laurel Hill West. Establishing a powerful connection between people, nature and community, Nature’s Sanctuary is planted with indigenous grasses, trees, and shrubs and is currently maintained as a meadow transitioning into a successional forest. All graves are hand-dug for minimal environmental impact; no gas-powered equipment is used. Only biodegradable or environmentally friendly caskets, shrouds, and urns are allowed. Nature’s Sanctuary is a regenerative landscape that offers families a tranquil environment and connection to the earth. 🌿Elper’s Church Greenwood Glen Cemetery (hybrid) - Leesport, PA Epler’s Church has been providing burial services for its members and the community at large since the congregation was founded in 1737. The oldest part of the facility, which is now inactive, contains the remains of more than 1,200 people including veterans from the Revolutionary War period. The active parts of the cemetery include a “Traditional” burial area, Cremation burial area, and the “Green” or “Natural” burial area (Epler’s Greenwood Glen). Certification by the Green Burial Council will give our cemetery the status of a “Hybrid” cemetery, which means that we can handle almost any type of burial that is allowed by law. Our facility also includes a Unicursal Labyrinth for meditative walking. 🌿Gethsemane Cemetery (hybrid) - Reading, PA Our natural burial section is different from our other sections. There are no manicured lawns and the majority of the section is covered in native green grasses, wild flowers and stands of trees. Paths will wander through the section to allow for visitation and memorialization is limited to an inscribed field stone, as no manufactured memorials will be permitted. Metal caskets and burial vaults are also not permitted. The body may be wrapped in a shroud or placed in a completely biodegradable casket. Our hope is to provide burial while reducing the environmental impact to the greatest degree possible. Due to the energy use and possible environmental concerns of the cremation process, cremated remains will not be permitted in the section of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. 🌿Wellsboro Cemetery (hybrid) - Wellsboro, PA We are pleased to say that we are considered a Hybrid Cemetery so there is a choice between Green or Traditional. A Green Burial is burial where no embalming is allowed - unless GBC approved (nontoxic chemicals) are used. Any burial container used is made of only natural, biodegradable materials. Such as a burial shroud, wicker basket coffin, cardboard box coffin (such as what is used for cremation), or a wooden box. No vault or liner is used. The body is simply placed into the ground and becomes one with the earth again. The family is given the option to participate in the burial process by helping to close the grave if they choose. Extra shovels can be supplied if this is wanted. Many find this gives them closure and in some ways a bit healing to feel as though they could show one last act of love. For those who don’t yet have a local green opti on, the best next step is often to engage with existing cemeteries about going hybrid. Many traditional cemeteries already have the infrastructure and zoning, they just need to know that the demand exists. Start by meeting with the ce metery board or sexton to ask simple questions: Would they consider allowing biodegradable caskets or shrouds? Could vaults be made optional? Are there unused sections that could remain natural and un-mowed? When framed as both an ecological and community benefit, these conversations often open doors rather than close them. Pennsylvania’s forests have always been a place of renewal, a refuge, a teacher, and now, for many, a final resting place. With continued curiosity and courage, residents here can lead the way in transforming the Keystone State into one that honors life, death, and land as one continuous story. 🌿 If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

Rhode Island Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the country, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in soul. From rocky coastal bluffs to inland forests and salt marshes teeming with life, the Ocean State has always held a deep respect for its natural landscapes. That reverence is beginning to extend into death care, as more Rhode Islanders seek ways to return to the earth gently, without chemicals, concrete, or excess. 🌿Prudence Memorial Park - Prudence Island, RI Nestled on Prudence Island in Narragansett Ba y, Prudence Memorial Park off ers Rhode Island’s only dedicated green burial groun d, a place where nature, reverence, and renewal meet. Certified by the Green Burial Council, this conservation-focused cemetery restores an ancient practice: returning the body to the earth gently and naturally. At Prudence Memorial Park, every burial is designed to minimize environmental impact. No vaults, concrete, metal, or toxic embalming chemicals are allowed. Bodies are wrapped in biodegradable shrouds or placed in simple wooden caskets made by local craftspeople. Even the act of digging a grave is done with care for surrounding root systems, preserving the integrity of the landscape. While cremation remains popular, the park reminds us that it comes with an environmental cost, from fossil fuel consumption to emissions released into the air. In contrast, natural burial at Prudence Memorial Park allows the body to decompose naturally, nourishing the soil and supporting local biodiversity. Cremated remains may also be buried or scattered thoughtfully among native plants or incorporated into the stone foundations of the property. Permanent markers here are simple, engraved native field stones laid flush to the ground, and loved ones may plant approved native species to honor those buried. Each grave is precisely recorded, ensuring that every resting place remains known and protected even as the land returns to a natural state. Prudence Memorial Park stands as a model for what su stainable deathcare can be: reverent, restorative, and responsible. By choosing this form of burial, families help conserve the island’s ecosystem while creating meaningful, enduring memorials rooted in the beauty of Rhode Island’s coastal landscape. 🌿Swan Point Cemetery (hybrid) - Providence, RI Peaceful and private, The Ellipse is surrounded by a variety of mature trees and shrubs. In place of individual monuments, a granite ledger for communal inscriptions of names of the deceased is located in the area’s center to best preserve its natural setting. Every grave space in The Ellipse allows for one full body burial or two sets of cremated remains. Both full body and cremation interments take place without the use of any type of permanent outer container. If you live in Rhode Island and wish to see natural burial offere d locally, consider starting conversations with existing cemeteries about creating hybrid sections. Often, the path begins with a single request, asking if they can accommodate burials without vaults or embalming, and using biodegradable caskets or shrouds. It’s a simple question that opens doors for change. In the Ocean State, where land and sea meet in an eternal exchange, it’s only natural that more Rhode Islanders are looking to make their final rest part of that same beautiful cycle. ⚓🌾 If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

South Carolina South Carolina is a state where history breathes through the trees, from the moss-draped oaks of the Lowcountry to the pine forests and foothills that roll toward the Blue Ridge. Here, the land has always been both a resting place and a teacher, reminding us of the cycles of renewal that define Southern life. It’s also home to a small but growing movement toward natural and conservation burial, a return to simplicity that honors both ancestry and ecology. Across South Carolina, families are beginning to look beyond polished granite and manicured lawns, toward meadows and woodlands where native plants thrive and the earth is left to heal itself. These emerging sanctuaries reflect a deeper understanding, that death care doesn’t need to be industrial to be meaningful. Whether through dedicated conservation cemeteries or green sections within historic burial grounds, South Carolinians are rediscovering what it means to rest in harmony with nature. 🌿Ramsey Creek Preserve - Westminister, SC Deep in the rolling hills of South Carolina’s Piedmont, Ramsey Creek Preserve stands as the birthplace of the modern green burial movement in the United States. Established in 1998, it was the first conservation burial ground in the nation, and remains one of the most inspiring examples of how sacred land and ecological restoration can coexist. At Ramsey Creek Preserve, burial and conservation are one and the same. Each interment helps protect and restore wild habitat for native plants and animals. No toxic embalming, no vaults, no concrete, only natural materials that allow the body to return fully to the earth. Every burial literally nourishes the forest floor, ensuring that death contributes to new life. Part of each burial fee supports land conservation, ecological restoration, and perpetual care. This means that every family who chooses Ramsey Creek is helping preserve a piece of the natural world for generations to come. The preserve is intentionally limited in the number of burials it allows, ensuring that the land remains vibrant and uncrowded, a true sanctuary for both people and wildlife. The founders of Ramsey Creek envisioned more than a cemetery, they imagined a national network of wild sanctuaries where death care serves life. Their goal: to protect and restore one million acres of wildlands through conservation burial. In doing so, they’ve reconnected countless families with the rhythms of the natural world and transformed how we think about saying goodbye. 🌿Greenhaven Preserve - Eastover, SC In the quiet countryside of Eastover, South Carolina, lies Greenhaven Preserve, a 10-acre natural burial ground surrounded by 360 acres of protected wilderness. Here, every interment contributes to a legacy of restoration, preservation, and deep respect for the earth. Greenhaven Preserve was founded on a promise, to safeguard fields, forests, and waters while offering families a simple and sustainable way to say goodbye. Each burial restores the land rather than altering it, returning the body to the soil in a way that nourishes new life. Vaults, embalming, and non-biodegradable materials are absent here; only natural materials are used, ensuring harmony between humans and habitat. This preserve exists as part of a thriving 360-acre ecosystem teeming with native plants, birds, and wildlife. The land itself is the monument, not stone, not marble, but open meadow and forest, alive with renewal. Greenhaven’s caretakers are devoted to long-term guardianship, ensuring that future generations inherit a landscape unspoiled and sacred. When families choose Greenhaven, they join a movement larger than themselves, one that protects biodiversity, restores soil health, and redefines what it means to leave a lasting mark on the world. In death, they give back to life, ensuring that the beauty of the South Carolina countryside endures forever. 🌿Dust to Dust Green Burial Cemetery - Swansee, SC Tucked away on family farmland in Powdersville, South Carolina, Dust to Dust Green Burial is one of the state’s most down-to-earth and authentic natural cemeteries, a place where simplicity, honesty, and respect for nature guide every decision. At Dust to Dust, burial takes place in harmony with the land. No vaults, no embalming, and no unnatural materials, just biodegradable caskets or simple shrouds. Over time, the grave settles naturally, becoming part of the landscape once more. Visitors are reminded that this is a nature reserve first, and a cemetery second, where the environment is left wild, alive, and real. The property is part of a working family farm, and that authenticity defines the experience. You may encounter farm animals or wildlife during your visit, and that’s by design, this is a resting place where human life and nature remain intertwined. Visitors are welcome to bring their own leashed pets to walk the land and share in its quiet peace. Dust to Dust isn’t manicured or maintained like a traditional perpetual-care cemetery. Instead, it’s a living, breathing piece of land, cared for by time, weather, and the natural cycle of growth and decay. Each burial here reinforces a connection to the earth, honoring life through the act of returning fully to it. 🌿Kings Mountain Preserve Conservation Burial - Blackburn, SC Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just minutes from historic Kings Mountain State Park, lies Kings Mountain Preserve, a breathtaking 55-acre conservation burial ground that restores the sacred connection between people and the land. Partnered with Upstate Forever Land Trust, the preserve is protected under a Perpetual Conservation Easement, ensuring its forests, creeks, and meadows remain untouched and preserved for generations to come. Majestic hardwoods, blooming dogwoods, and the gentle flow of Kings Creek create a landscape that feels more like a sanctuary than a cemetery. As a Green Burial Council Certified conservation cemetery, Kings Mountain Preserve follows the highest ecological and ethical standards. Vaults are prohibited, embalming is only allowed with non-toxic solutions, and all caskets and shrouds must be 100% biodegradable. Families are invited to take part in the burial process, lowering their loved one into the earth by hand, closing the grave, and planting remembrance stones and native flora. Every burial site is marked with a simple engraved river stone, blending seamlessly into the natural surroundings. With over three miles of scenic hiking trails, visitors can walk through the preserve and witness how every interment helps sustain this vibrant ecosystem of trees, wildflowers, and ferns. Kings Mountain Preserve transcends the idea of what a cemetery can be, transforming it into a place of healing, life, and legacy. To be buried here is to become part of the forest itself, ensuring your final act gives back to the land that sustains us all. In a state shaped by its deep cultural roots, this shift carries profound meaning. For many, it’s about reclaiming the old ways, when burial was a family or community act, done with care and reverence. For others, it’s about stewardship, ensuring the land remains healthy for generations to come. Whatever the reason, the green burial movement here reminds us that returning to the soil isn’t just an ending, it’s a continuation of everything that’s ever grown in Southern ground. If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

South Dakota: Space to Grow Something New In South Dakota, the land feels endless, golden prairies stretching to meet the horizon, the quiet hum of wind through tall grass, and sky that seems to hold every season at once. It’s a place where people have always lived close to nature and relied on the land for their way of life. And yet, amid all that open space, there are no official green or conservation burial grounds—not yet. That absence doesn’t mean the desire isn’t there. It simply means South Dakota is poised for pioneers once again. The state’s strong agricultural roots and conservation-minded communities make it a natural fit for families seeking a gentler, more sustainable way to return to the earth. Whether through faith-based cemeteries, family plots, or community land trusts, the foundation already exists for natural burial to take root here. If you live in South Dakota and want to see green burial become available locally, one of the most effective steps is to approach an existing cemetery and ask them to consider creating a hybrid section. Many traditional cemeteries already have the space and legal structure, they simply need community interest. When you meet with the cemetery board or sexton, bring examples from nearby states like Minnesota or Nebraska, where hybrid models are thriving. Ask if they would allow biodegradable caskets or shrouds, and if vaults can be made optional. Often, one “yes” is enough to open the door for many.  South Dakota’s vast plains have always been a place of quiet renewal. With a little courage and conversation, they can become a place where even our final act nourishes the land we’ve loved all along. 🌻 🌿Mount Pleasant Cemetery (hybrid) - Souiz Falls, SD At Mount Pleasant, we offer options to suit your individual needs and beliefs, from hybrid burials that blend traditional and green practices, to full natural burials. A truly "green" burial involves no embalming, vaults, or liners, and utilizes only biodegradable containers like caskets, shrouds, or even no container at all. This allows the body to return to the earth enriching the soil and fostering new life. If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

Tennessee Tennessee’s hills hum with history, songs of mountains, rivers, and resilience. It’s a place where the land has always held meaning, and where community is woven into the landscape itself. That same spirit now guides the growing movement toward green and natural burial across the Volunteer State. 🌿Narrowridge Burial Preserve - Washburn, TN In the peaceful hills of Grainger County, Tennessee, the Narrow Ridge Natural Burial Preserve offers a place where simplicity, reverence, and ecology meet. This 5-acre woodland burial ground honors the natural life cycle, allowing the human body to return to the earth gently, without embalming fluids, metal caskets, or concrete vaults. Unlike conventional cemeteries that separate us from the soil, Narrow Ridge invites families to become part of the forest’s renewal. Graves are hand-dug or opened by a local operator, and each body is wrapped in a biodegradable shroud or placed in a simple wooden casket made from natural or reclaimed materials. Over time, the burial preserve will naturally reforest, a living memorial trail winding through trees, wildflowers, and birdsong. Founded by the Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, the preserve embodies the center’s mission of sustainable living and spiritual ecology. Burial fees are donation-based, ensuring that every person, regardless of financial means, can choose an earth-friendly farewell. Memorial gatherings take place under a timber-frame pavilion that blends seamlessly with the landscape, offering space for reflection and community connection. 🌿Larkspur Conservation Burial - Westmoreland, TN In the rolling hills just outside Nashville, Larkspur Conservation is redefining what it means to be laid to rest, not in a cemetery, but within a protected nature preserve. Stretching across meadows, forests, and wildflower fields, Larkspur is Tennessee’s first conservation burial ground, where every burial helps heal and protect the land. At Larkspur, the land is permanently safeguarded by a conservation easement, held by an independent accredited land trust. This binding agreement ensures the forest will never be developed, no subdivisions, no pavement, no parking lots, only thriving ecosystems of oak, hickory, and native grasses. Each burial becomes part of that ecosystem, contributing both physically and financially to the land’s care and restoration. Here, there is no embalming, no vaults, no metal or plastic, only natural materials that allow the body to return fully to the soil. The preserve’s team plants native species, pulls invasives, restores soil health, and tends the land with reverence. This is more than green burial, it’s reciprocity with the earth, a practice that turns loss into legacy and memory into restoration. The Larkspur team walks families through every step of the process, from coordinating with funeral homes to preparing the grave and leading ceremonies. Each burial begins with a quiet procession through nature and ends with loved ones returning handfuls of earth to the grave. Flowers, pine needles, and song often close the ritual, leaving behind beauty and peace instead of sorrow. Larkspur reminds us that we don’t need new laws or new technology to protect the planet, we need to protect the land itself. Conservation burial transforms the way we think about death, offering an alternative to consumption and pollution: one that sequesters carbon, creates wildlife habitat, and restores ecosystems for generations to come. 🌿Elmwood Cemetery (hybrid) - Memphis, TN Elmwood Cemetery allows Green Burials. Green burials are an environmentally-conscious approach to interment. These burials typically involve a shroud or biodegradable casket without a burial vault or liner, and alternative use of embalming fluids. A licensed funeral director will be able to explain the process of Green Burials. Check with your local, trusted funeral homes to inquire about this safe alternative to traditional funeral practices. Headstones and monuments are allowed for Green Burials at Elmwood. The prices for Green Burials at Elmwood are the same as traditional interment services. At the heart of Tennessee’s green burial movement is a love of place, one that values conservation, stewardship, and the peace that comes from knowing your final act gives back to the earth. Whether it’s a wildflower blooming where a grave once was, or a family gathering under the shade of native trees, Tennessee reminds us that death, too, can be an act of renewal.  If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

Texas In Texas, the land has always meant something sacred, vast skies stretching over prairies and mesquite, quiet hills that hold memory like heat. It’s a state defined by independence and by its deep relationship with the natural world. So it’s fitting that Texas was among the first to embrace natural and green burial, returning to the earth in a way that’s simple, sustainable, and true to the land itself.  🌿Eloise Woods Natural Burial Park - Cedar Creek, TX In the heart of Central Texas, tucked among the trees of Cedar Creek near Austin, lies Eloise Woods Natural Burial Park, a peaceful woodland sanctuary where life and death are in harmony with nature. As one of the state’s earliest dedicated natural burial grounds, Eloise Woods has become a cherished place of simplicity, beauty, and renewal. Founded on the belief that death can be a continuation of care for the planet by my mentor., Ellen Macdonald, Eloise Woods provides natural burials in harmony with the land, following the high standards of the Green Burial Council. Every burial is done without embalming, concrete vaults, or toxic materials. Bodies are laid to rest in biodegradable shrouds or simple wooden caskets at a depth that allows nature’s own microbes and oxygen to complete the cycle of return. The park serves as both a burial ground and a wildlife preserve. With walking trails winding through wildflower meadows, oak groves, and native habitat, it offers a place for families to visit, reflect, and connect. No artificial flowers or decorations are permitted, only Texas native plants, natural stones, and wildflower seeds, so the land remains vibrant and ecologically sound. At Eloise Woods, nature is the monument. Flat native stones, no taller than three inches, mark each resting place, blending into the woodland floor. The goal isn’t to impose permanence on the landscape but to let it thrive, to create a legacy of clean air, pure water, and living habitat for generations to come. Natural burial here is more than an ecological act, it’s emotional and deeply human. As seasons shift, so do the colors, textures, and sounds of the forest, creating what scholars call a “therapeutic landscape”, a place where grief and nature coexist, and where each visit reflects the changing rhythm of life itself. 🌿Countryside Memorial Park - La Vernia, TX Just outside San Antonio, Countryside Memorial Park offers a place of serenity and simplicity, a natural burial ground where families can return their loved ones to the earth in the purest, most natural way possible. Founded by Dr. A.D. Zucht III, a visionary dentist, balloonist, and entrepreneur, Countryside reflects his belief that death, like life, should be rooted in authenticity and respect for nature. When Dr. Zucht passed away, his daughter Chrysta Bell Zucht and her mother Sunny Markham carried his dream forward. Together, they transformed Countryside Memorial Park into a thriving sanctuary for green burial. Chrysta Bell, a world-touring artist and actress known for Twin Peaks: The Return, uses her platform to educate others about sustainable deathcare, while Sunny leads families through the burial process with compassion and care. At Countryside, burial is performed at a shallow, natural depth of about three feet, where microbes and oxygen work together to return the body to the soil swiftly and safely. There are no vaults, toxic chemicals, or metal caskets, only biodegradable materials like shrouds, reeds, bamboo, or wooden caskets. Families are welcome to help close the grave themselves, a final, loving gesture that reconnects them to the earth and the person they’ve lost. The cemetery’s natural landscape, a mix of open Texas sky, wildflowers, and historic grounds, invites reflection and participation. Families can plant native trees or shrubs, place flat engraved stone markers, and decorate graves with biodegradable flowers or simple tokens of love. Everything here is designed to protect the integrity and wild beauty of the land. 🌿Blazing Star Sanctuary in Coastal Prarie Conservancy - Katy, TX On the open grasslands west of Houston, Blazing Star Sanctuary is transforming the way Texans think about burial, land, and legacy. This new conservation cemetery, part of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy, is restoring one of the most endangered ecosystems on earth, the tallgrass prairie, while creating a place of remembrance that will last forever. Unlike traditional cemeteries, Blazing Star is designed as a nature sanctuary first. Each burial contributes directly to prairie restoration and conservation, no vaults, no embalming, no concrete, only biodegradable materials that allow the body to return fully to the soil. Burial sites are chosen with deep respect for the land’s natural contours, and small, flat markers ensure that the landscape remains open and wild. Less than 1% of Texas’s original tallgrass prairie still exists, but the work at Blazing Star is helping to change that. The preserve’s caretakers are reintroducing native wildflowers, grasses, and pollinators, building healthy soil, and restoring wetland habitats that once defined the Gulf Coast region. By 2025, thousands of native plants will once again cover the memorial grasslands, providing vital refuge for migratory birds and wildlife. Every burial and every scattering here provides tangible environmental benefits, sequestering carbon, filtering water, improving air quality, and reducing flooding. The sanctuary’s partnership with the Coastal Prairie Conservancy ensures the land will be protected in perpetuity, never to be developed or lost to urban sprawl. 🌿Campo De Estrellas - Smithville, TX In the quiet countryside of Bastrop County, near Smithville, Texas, a new kind of burial ground is taking shape, one that gives back to the land rather than taking from it. Campo de Estrellas Conservation Cemetery is rewilding nine acres of former cattle pasture, transforming it into a thriving ecosystem where people, pets, and the planet coexist in balance. Set within the 30-acre property of Abbey Grange Farm, Campo de Estrellas is part of a larger vision: to restore biodiversity and let the land heal itself. The cemetery follows strict green burial practices, no embalming, no concrete vaults, and no non-biodegradable materials. Every casket, shroud, and flower placed here must return naturally to the earth. Only native Texas plants are used to mark graves, ensuring that each resting place blends seamlessly into the ecosystem. Campo de Estrellas goes beyond green burial because it’s part of a rewilding project, reviving the natural rhythms of East Texas. By restoring native vegetation, supporting wildlife habitats, and encouraging the presence of species like deer, wild turkeys, predatory birds, coyotes, and even wild hogs, the preserve is rebuilding a self-sustaining, balanced ecosystem. Every interment directly supports this ecological renewal. 🌿Unbroken Circle Cemetery - Atascosa, TX Sacred burial provides a deep connection to the land for family and friends whose loved ones are here on this conserved land, the home of San Antonio’s green cemetery. Specifically designed to save and restore significant wildlands and habitats, Unbroken Circle Green Cemetery has fewer interments than usual cemeteries. To that end, family and friends will experience a closer emotional connection with a natural burial experience. Most importantly, you protect the environment, take care of our planet, preserve the natural habitat, reduce your carbon footprint, and remain financially responsible. 🌿Mountain Creek Cemetery (hybrid) - Grand Prarie, TX At Mountain Creek Cemetery, we provide a peaceful resting place where families can honor their loved ones with dignity, compassion, and care. Located in Grand Prairie, Texas, we offer traditional burials, green options, and urn interments—all in a serene setting designed to bring comfort and connection. Here, every memory is cherished, and every legacy continues to bloom, 🌿Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery (hybrid) - Georgetown, TX There is nothing traditional about conventional burial. Over the last decade, traditional (green) burial has been overran by new products and a one size fits all mind-set. The current trend of conventional burial says we should be handled by strangers, filled with poisonous chemicals, sealed away in a mass produced casket and be placed in yet another container to seal us away from nature. From the peaceful meadows of Countryside Memorial Park near San Antonio to the wooded trails of Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery and Prayer Gardens, Texans are rediscovering that caring for the dead can also mean caring for the soil. These sanctuaries prove that dignity doesn’t require concrete or chemicals, only intention, community, and love of place. If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

Vermont In Vermont, the land itself feels like an invitation to slow down, to breathe, to listen, and to belong. Known for its deep woods, winding streams, and strong environmental ethic, Vermont has long understood the value of living gently on the Earth. It’s only natural, then, that this understanding now extends into death. 🌿Vermont Forest Cemetery - Roxbury, VT Deep in the heart of the Green Mountains lies Vermont Forest Cemetery, the state’s first forest cemetery is a 56-acre woodland dedicated entirely to natural burial. Here, the trees, soil, and wildlife are the caretakers, and every burial becomes a quiet act of reciprocity between people and the land that sustained them in life. Unlike manicured lawns or rows of headstones, Vermont Forest Cemetery rests in an upland mixed hardwood forest, where maples, birches, and ferns define the landscape. This isn’t just a place to lay the body, it’s a living ecosystem. Over time, the body nourishes the soil, becoming part of the forest itself. Graves are chosen with intention, blending naturally into the terrain, and simple markers of native stone serve as quiet reminders of the lives once rooted here. At Vermont Forest Cemetery, families don’t just attend a burial, they take part in it. Loved ones are encouraged to help open the grave, carry the body, lower it by hand, and fill the grave with earth, accompanied by the support of compassionate staff. These shared, physical rituals bring healing and presence, transforming what’s often seen as somber into something profoundly connective and sacred. 🌿Higher Ground Conservation Burial - Williamsville, VT Nestled in the rolling hills of southern Vermont, Higher Ground Conservation Burial offers more than a final resting place, it’s a community woven into the living forest. Part sanctuary, part movement, this sacred woodland honors both the human spirit and the wild land it rests upon. Higher Ground’s story begins with Pam, a longtime steward of the land, who wished to “become one” with the forest she helped protect. When she died, her winter burial among the trees became the seed of what would grow into Vermont’s newest conservation burial ground. Months later, her dear friend Rupa joined her, carried to her resting place by flute, drum, and the hands of over 100 friends who danced, sang, and returned her to the soil. Their stories became the foundation for Higher Ground, a place where the line between life, death, and land blurs into unity. In the wake of those first burials, a group called Caring for Our Own was born, neighbors and friends exploring home funerals, natural burial, and how to care for one another in both life and death. Today, they meet monthly (both on Zoom and on-site) to share wisdom, stories, and stewardship of the forest. It’s a living example of community-based deathcare, where the same people who hike, plant trees, and clear trails also tend the graves and support the grieving. Located on unceded Abenaki territory, the 5-acre burial area sits within a larger protected forest managed with a deep respect for ecology and heritage. Mature oaks, birch, and ash trees form the canopy; trails wind gently through mossy slopes and ancient “pillows and cradles” where trees once fell centuries ago. Every burial here is natural, no embalming, no vaults, no metal, and every interment supports ongoing forest restoration, soil enrichment, and biodiversity. Vermont’s green cemeteries remind us that death need not disturb nature, it can complete it. Each resting place here is part of a larger story of conservation and community stewardship, ensuring that the hills, forests, and wildflowers that cradle the dead today will continue to shelter life for generations to come. 🌲 If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

Virginia Virginia’s story is steeped in history, from Revolutionary soil to rolling Blue Ridge forests, this is a state where the land remembers. And now, it’s also becoming a place where people are reimagining what it means to rest within that land. Across the Commonwealth, a quiet movement toward green and conservation burial is taking root, one that honors ancestry, preserves ecosystems, and restores balance between human life and the natural world. 🌿Forest Rest Natural Cemetery - Boones Mill, VA Tucked within the quiet woods of Boones Mill, Forest Rest Natural Cemetery offers something rare in southwest Virginia, a place to return to the earth naturally, without embalming, vaults, or excess. Surrounded by native trees and birdsong, it’s a serene sanctuary where simplicity meets sustainability, allowing loved ones to rest gently within the soil that sustains all life. At Forest Rest, there’s no need for heavy metal caskets or toxic chemicals. Families can choose a shroud, favorite blanket, or biodegradable pine or wicker casket, embracing a gentler approach to burial. Graves can even be dug by hand, reducing emissions and deepening the personal connection to the land. Located adjacent to Mountain View Burial Park, Forest Rest is the only certified natural cemetery in southwest Virginia, spanning over a hundred miles in every direction. It fills a vital gap for families seeking a return to traditional, meaningful, and environmentally conscious burial practices between Lexington, VA and Raleigh, NC. 🌿 Duck Run Cemetery - Penn Laid, VA Nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, Duck Run Natural Cemetery in Penn Laird is Virginia’s first 100% natural cemetery, redefining what it means to rest lightly on the earth. This peaceful 8-acre sanctuary, designed to expand to 113 acres over time, offers both traditional green burial lots and an innovative concept rarely seen in the U.S.: 75-year renewable plots. Each renewable lot at Duck Run is leased for 75 years, a timespan chosen to ensure complete natural decomposition while allowing up to four generations of family to visit the resting place. After that period, the lot may be renewed or returned to the land for another natural burial. It’s a model of true sustainability, one that honors the cyclical nature of life and death. Duck Run was once a dairy farm, now, it’s being lovingly restored into a thriving ecosystem. Certified by the Green Burial Council, the cemetery’s restoration efforts help rebuild native habitat, conserve resources, and protect soil and water quality. Walking trails wind through meadows and woodland, while scattering gardens offer another gentle way to return ashes to the earth. There are no vaults, no metal caskets, and no embalming chemicals at Duck Run. Families may choose biodegradable shrouds, wicker caskets, or pine boxes, and each grave is marked with a simple fieldstone or native plant. For those seeking connection and simplicity, the experience here evokes the original meaning of “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” 🌿Panorama Natural Burial - Earlysville, VA In the rolling hills of Earlysville, Virginia, Panorama Natural Burial carries forward a legacy of love for land, life, and community. Founded in 1953 by James “Jim” Murray and Jean “Bunny” Murray, Panorama Farms began as a place of stewardship and service, and now, it’s where their family continues their mission by offering Virginia’s most exceptional natural burial experience. Jim and Bunny devoted their lives to thoughtful land care, transforming Panorama Farms from a working farm into a hub for organic composting, conservation, and community recreation. When they passed, their final wish was fulfilled in the most poetic way, returning their bodies to the same earth they had nurtured, in simple, regenerative burials that mirrored their lifelong values. What makes Panorama extraordinary is its living energy. Wildlife flourishes among native grasses, dogs trot the trails beside visitors, and Tree Stewards and local conservation groups gather for restoration and educational work. The upcoming Restoration Committee (2024) will guide efforts to restore meadows and forests, ensuring that every burial strengthens the ecosystem that sustains it. 🌿Cool Springs Natural Cemetery at Holy Cross Abbey - Berrysville, VA Tucked beside the Shenandoah River and framed by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cool Spring Natural Cemetery rests on the sacred grounds of Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia, a place where prayer, peace, and reverence for the land have guided life for over sixty years. Maintained and managed by the Cistercian monks of Holy Cross Abbey, this natural cemetery reflects a centuries-old monastic devotion to stewardship and hospitality. Burial here is more than a final resting place, it’s a continuation of the monks’ contemplative relationship with the land and the sacred rhythm of life and death. The monks describe Cool Spring as “a tangible extension of our life of worship and care for creation.” To be buried here is to join a living monastic tradition, one rooted in humility, respect for all life, and communion with the natural world. While consecrated as a Roman Catholic Cemetery, Cool Spring welcomes people of all faiths and beliefs who wish for a natural return to the earth. Embalming, vaults, and metal caskets are not permitted. Instead, burials take place in biodegradable containers, with simple engraved fieldstones from the Abbey grounds marking each grave. If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!

Washington Washington State has become one of the most transformative landscapes in America’s natural deathcare movement. From the mist-covered forests of the Cascades to the golden hills of the Columbia Gorge, this region has long inspired people to live and die in harmony with the land. It’s no surprise that Washington is now home to some of the most progressive and ecologically rooted burial and disposition options in the country. 🌿White Eagle Memorial Preserve at Ekone Ranch - Goldenrod, WA High above the Columbia River Gorge, where the oak and ponderosa forest meets sweeping meadow and canyon, lies White Eagle Memorial Preserve (WEMP), one of the most breathtaking conservation burial grounds in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 2008 and licensed by the State of Washington, White Eagle spans 20 acres within a 1,138-acre wilderness permanently protected by the Sacred Earth Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that also stewards the beloved Ekone Ranch. This landscape is alive, home to deer, coyotes, cougars, eagles, turkeys, steelhead, and even the occasional bear or lynx. Here, life and death are woven into one continuous ecosystem of respect and renewal. White Eagle’s mission is simple and profound: “To steward and protect this ecosystem, and to provide families with meaningful conservation burial opportunities.” Those who choose burial here return to the earth as part of an ongoing act of love, nourishing the soil and strengthening the web of life. Each grave restores rather than disturbs, turning death into a gift to the living landscape. White Eagle is an extension of Ekone Ranch, a community founded through the vision of Ray Mitchell, a horse-whispering teacher, land steward, and conservationist who dedicated 30 years to protecting this wilderness. His legacy continues through children’s summer camps, adult quests, and wilderness programs that connect people deeply to the natural world. The land’s first stewards were the Rock Creek Band of the Yakama Nation, and its canyons and valleys remain sacred gathering places. Today, White Eagle honors that lineage of care and connection, inviting people of all walks of life to return naturally to the soil of this ancient place. 🌿 Herland Forest Natural Burial Cemetery - Klickitat County, WA At the meeting point between Washington’s lush western forests and the golden eastern highlands, Herland Forest stands as a living sanctuary, a permaculture-based natural burial ground dedicated to returning each person to the circle of life. Managed by the Windward Community, this nonprofit cemetery merges sustainability, education, and deep spiritual respect for the land. Herland Forest is home to Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine, ancient oaks, and chestnut, walnut, and ginkgo trees, all forming a thriving mosaic of native and cultivated life. Every grave here becomes part of a regenerative cycle, a resting place that blossoms each spring into wildflowers and forest renewal. “We delight in transforming graves into bouquets of flowers that herald the annual return of spring.” 🌸 This 40-acre forest near the Columbia River Gorge serves not only as sacred burial ground but also as a research and restoration project, using permaculture and wildfire resilience practices to protect the Cascadian landscape. At Herland, death is not an end, it’s an act of creation. Each burial is non-toxic and biodegradable, free of embalming and metal caskets, ensuring that bodies nourish soil and seed new life. Through natural burial, each person becomes part of an ancient cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. 🌿The Meadow (hybrid) - Bellingham, WA The Meadow Natural Burial Ground at Greenacres Memorial Park allows families the option to lay loved ones to rest in a serene and natural environment. Everything placed in the ground at The Meadow is nontoxic and biodegradable, allowing it to return to the earth. In addition, each burial contributes to the ongoing restoration of The Meadow as a thriving, native ecosystem. As part of the restoration plan, each family is given the option to have three native plants planted in the memory of their loved one. Also available for memorialization are boulder-sized, engraved river rocks. These grounds are kept as a natural area. Maintenance is minimal and does not involve irrigation, fertilizers, regular mowing, or pruning. In addition, integrated pest management is used to manage invasive species. The Meadow is one example of Moles’ value of community stewardship. We are committed to acting responsibly with what has been entrusted to us. 🌿Hillcrest Cemetery (hybrid) - Bainbridge Island, WA For those who wish Traditional Burial but are also concerned for the environment, this is a perfect choice. This service is also known as Natural Burial and is the eco-friendly choice of many. 🌿Sumner Cemetery (hybrid) - Puyallup, WA 🌿Woodlawn Cemetery (hybrid) - Snohomish, WA Woodlawn Cemetery is officially Snohomish’s First Green Burial Cemetery. In early 2009, Woodlawn Cemetery dedicated a specific piece of land for the use of Green Burials. There are several old burials scattered throughout this section dating back to 1891 and 1892; making this new trend in burials not so new at all. In fact, this is more of a traditional burial from the “old days”. Some of the headstones in this section are the original markers from the 1800’s showing the amazing history of one family’s surname change throughout the past 120 years.  If you want information on how to start your own natural burial cemetery, or you want to make me aware of another green, natural, or hybrid cemetery in this state, please reach out!