Death is inevitable; our awareness of that fact can assist us in living a meaningful and full life. In the February meeting of Vital Conversations, we talked about our obituaries and our legacy. What rich lives we all have led and are still living – no wonder we wish to delay the inevitable.
However, once we are dead and buried, our bodies will return back to the earth, eventually. At this juncture, does it make any sense to try to delay the inevitable? Whether we are interred in a satin-lined, gold-plated rosewood casket or a plain pine box, eventually our bodies will break down and become sustenance for other forms of life.
Living in a small community like Cazenovia, we get to know our neighbors, those who provide us with sustenance – the farmers, the grocers, shop-keepers, physicians, librarians, the list goes on. And we also may get to know those who bury us, our competent and caring funeral directors. We want those who buried our grandfathers to also shepherd us to our final resting place using the same process and procedures that we consider traditional.
But consider for a moment that these ‘traditional’ practices have only been around for about four or five generations. Prior to that, everyone had what is known today as “green” burial, without cremation or embalming, and with minimal impact to the environment. The contemporary Green Burial Movement has much to recommend it and is especially appealing if one considers one’s legacy. In a very real sense, a decision about how to dispose of our earthly remains is our last opportunity to do our part to protect the planet.
Most of us are probably unaware that there are burial options that allow us to be “recycled,” now, quickly, rather than eventually. By using “natural” or “green” burial practices, we have a way of caring for the dead that minimizes the environmental impact, aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduces carbon emissions, protects worker health, and restores and/or preserves natural habitat for wildlife and plants.
On March 27, our Vital Conversations series will continue with a presentation and discussion of this Green Burial Movement. We will start things off with a talk by Herb Engman, who is president of Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield, N.Y. This certified green burial site encompasses 130 acres located atop a beautiful hill, managed as a nature preserve especially for grassland birds and pollinators.
In keeping with environmentally sustainable green burial practices, the Greenspring model does not allow embalming, which keeps toxic fluids out of the ground water. They do not allow vaults, which prevents mining for materials for concrete, and they also discourage expensive, unsustainably-harvested hardwood caskets. Instead, plain pine or cardboard boxes, wicker coffins, or shrouds are used in order to return the body back to the earth as quickly as possible.
Using his experience at Greensprings as an example, our presenter will deal with issues such as:
- What are the ecological costs of contemporary burials and cremations?
- What are the benefits of a “natural” or “green” burial for the dead and for the living, as well as for the planet?
- How do ecologically sound burial practices relate to conservation measures and stewardship of the land?
Following the presentation, there will be ample time for questions and discussion. For example, can a family in Cazenovia still rely on their local funeral directors for these ecologically sound burials?
“The Green Burial Movement: Recovering Simple, Sustainable, Ecologically Sound Burial Practices” will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room. The event is free and open to the public.
For further information, call CRIS at 315-655-5743 or email [email protected].
