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Guided Home Funerals LLC Consultant for family directed funerals Environmentally, Economically and Emotionally Healing |
What is a green burial?A Green Burial is a natural earth-friendly approach to burial. The deceased is buried in a cloth shroud or a simple bio-degradable casket in a vault-free grave. Embalming is not required for burial, green burial or conventional burial. No toxic chemicals, metal caskets or concrete containers are used. Green burial can be located in specialized areas of traditional cemeteries, in wooded settings of natural cemeteries, or on private land. Native field stones set flush to the ground function as headstones. In some cases, grave sites are marked simply by shrubs or trees, or identifiable only by Global Position System (GPS).
Why have a green burial? A green cemetery allows nature to run its course in returning a body to the earth. It creates no waste, encourages natural beauty, and saves our lands for future generations. You might choose to plant native trees, shrubs, and flowers to honor your loved ones resting location. These plantings, attract birds and other wildlife to the area, promote habitat restoration as well as honoring the loved one. Water isn’t wasted, nor is pesticides and herbicides used. All materials used are biodegradable, preserving our land for future generations.
What does a green burial look like? Typically, the grave is dug by hand to a depth of three to four feet. Once the casket or shrouded body is laid to rest, the grave is filled with soil and mounded above ground. The mound allows for the natural settling and flattening of the earth that occurs over time. A marker may or may not be placed on the grave. Other green burial choices might include having the grave dug by professionals with minimal disturbance to the land.
Can a burial still be "green" if a vault is required? Yes. You can ask the cemetery to invert the vault. This causes the bottom of the grave to be exposed to the earth, while the top of the grave has the concrete top. (Visualize an inverted, empty shoebox without its lid.) This is a common request and "green" solution, as several religious traditions already require the body to be buried in touch with the earth.There are no laws in Montana that require embalming, placing the deceased in a metal or concrete casket, or setting up a headstone. You have options of creating a memorable landmark that reflect the unique personality of your loved one and preserve the landscape.Although not all cemeteries are amenable to green burials, some like Natural Cemeteries of Swan Lake are. .www.naturalcemeteriesmt.com.
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Saving our earth for future generations |
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“Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead And I will measure With mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, Their respect for the law of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals”
William Gladstone
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