As we celebrate Earth Day this month, and examine the many ways we can reduce our environmental impact on our planet, it seems appropriate to talk about green burial as a way we can ensure that our final ecological footprint is as small as possible. Green burials are experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and there are many motivations cited to explain this trend. Environmental sustainability is certainly at the top of the list of reasons why an increasing number of people are choosing green burial.
The use of natural resources is significantly reduced in a green burial, and the use of hazardous chemicals is eliminated. In a green or natural burial, the body is placed in a biodegradable coffin or shroud, and is interred without the use of embalming fluid or a concrete burial vault. Over time, the gravesite returns to its undisturbed state, covered in prairie grasses and wildflowers, surrounded by trees and rolling countryside. As a comparison, in his book "Grave Matters," author Mark Harris examines the environmental impact of the modern funeral industry and follows families who found green burial to be a more natural and meaningful alternative. According to Harris, a typical 10-acre swatch of ground in a conventional American cemetery contains enough coffin wood to construct 40 houses, nearly 1,000 tons of casket steel, 20,000 tons of vault concrete, and enough embalming fluid to fill a backyard swimming pool.
While reducing the use of natural resources, green burial is also a catalyst for the conservation of natural areas. The creation of Kokosing Nature Preserve has effectively restored and protected 45 acres of open green space, populated with native wildflowers, prairie grasses, trees and wetland areas. The preserve offers habitat for birds, pollinators and other wildlife, while also providing walking paths for our community to enjoy the peace and beauty of the space. Certified at the highest level by the Green Burial Council as a conservation burial ground, Kokosing Nature Preserve has a plan in place for the ongoing management, restoration and conservation of the cemetery’s land, including restrictions on the use of fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides.
You can learn more about green burial through the Green Burial Council and the Conservation Burial Alliance. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about purchasing interment rights at Kokosing Nature Preserve to contact us at 740-427-5040 or via email at info@kokosingnaturepreserve.org.
To support the work of Kokosing Nature Preserve, you can make a tax-deductible gift online.