Links and Resources

For more information on Green Burial:

Green Burial Association of Maryland Supporting environmentally sound options for returning the body to the Earth in a natural, simple and dignified way.

Green Burial Council Inspiring and advocating for environmentally sustainable end-of-life care through research, education, and certification.

Memorial Ecosystems Leaders in conservation burial; established Ramsey Creek Preserve, the first US Conservation Burial Site, in SC in 1998.

Green Burials An organization devoted to increasing awareness of green burials and other ecofriendly burial and death options.

Grave Matters a journey through the modern funeral industry to a natural way of burial  a book by Mark Harris

Final Rites: Reclaiming the American Way of Death a book by Lisa Carlson and Joshua Slocum

Greening Death: Reclaiming Burial Practices and Restoring Our Ties to the Earth, book by Suzanne Kelly

Green Cemeteries List 2.19.16 (1)  A list of names and locations of all (or most) green cemeteries, hybrid cemeteries and conservation burial sites in US and Canada

Films on conservation and green burial:

Dying Green             Set in the foothills of the Appalachians, this film explores one man’s vision of using green burials to conserve land. Dr. Billy Campbell, the town’s physician, and his efforts have radically changed our view of burials in the United States. Dying Green focuses on the revolutionary idea of using our own death and natural burial to fund land conservation and create wildlife preserves. 27 minutes

Green Burial – KQED Quest      10 minute video

 A Will for the Woods , film on one person pursuing a green burial option

For more information on end of life care and decision making, and funeral alternatives and resources:

Green Burial Association of Maryland Supporting environmentally sound options for returning the body to the Earth in a natural, simple and dignified way.

Threshold Support Circle  A local non profit organization that provides a forum and resources to explore end of life issues and after death care.

Crossings: Caring for our Own at Death A (local) Home Funeral and Green Burial Resource Center

New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education and Advocacy Tons of information on all related topics can be found here.

Maryland Advance Directive Information and forms from the Maryland Attorney General on preparing an Advanced Directive and other end-of-life planning issues.

Inspired Funeral  Creative Ways to Approach the Inevitable: A Blog by Funeral Director Amy Cunningham

Homefuneralalliance.org National Home Funeral Alliance, supporting home funeral education

Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight  Consumer Tips and Brochure

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Maryland  The regional chapter of a national non-profit consumer education and advocacy organization.

Last Things Alternatives at the end of life – a Blog.

On land conservation:

New Conservation Vision An article on the compelling need to connect more people to land preservation. Conservation burial is a way. by Peter Forbes
The Final Stop for Land Trusts, Land Trust Alliance Exchange, by Stephen Christy, Jr.

 In the News:

“Dust to dust” would become literal in green burials (Commentary) Baltimore Sun 2/20/15

Baltimore County Council approves bill for natural burial Baltimore Sun 2/17/15

Baltimore County couple hopes to open conservation burial ground Baltimore Sun 2/9/15

Even in death you can protect the environment Delmarva Now,  January 2015

Green Burials Gain Ground in Vermont Burlington Free Press, 11/12/15

Other Alternatives to conventional burial

Recompose

Recompose offers an alternative choice to cremation and conventional burial methods, with a process called “recomposition.” This natural process gently converts human remains into soil, so that we can nourish new life after we die. Washington State.