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Chaining Yourself to a Tree Post-Mortem: Conservation Burial
- Alyssa Cavalieri
- Jun 10, 2020
- 3 min read
Conservation burial, as explained by Caitlin Doughty, is the equivalent to "chaining yourself to a tree post-mortem" and continuing environmental activism from life into death. Conservation burial is very similar to natural burial, but takes environmental protection a step further. While both types of green burials keep embalming fluid and vaults from harming the environment, conservation burials protect the very land in which bodies are buried.
Natural burials are exactly what they sound like. Un-embalmed bodies are placed into the ground without cement or metal vault and decompose naturally in the ground without leaking the harmful chemicals used for embalming into the soil and groundwater. Bodies are often buried within environmentally friendly pine caskets that can be broken down alongside the corpse. Alternatively, a cotton shroud may be used, depending on the cemetery rules surrounding burial requirements. Bodies are buried nearer to the surface at a 3-4 feet depth, deep enough that scavengers will not be attracted to them but close enough to the surface to allow the bodies to decompose quickly with more access to oxygen. Natural burials are how humans took care of their dead for centuries before the introduction and popularization of embalming during the Civil War.
Photo of conservation grounds at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary:
The purpose of conservation burial is contained in its name, conservation. By burying bodies on land designated for conservation, it has an additional legal protection by making the grounds technically a cemetery and hallowed ground. The bodies supply valuable nutrients to the plant life as well. Many conservation cemeteries allow for ashes to be scattered or buried alongside natural burial of bodies. Pets are also allowed to be buried at many sites. In addition to this, part of the burial fees go towards maintaining the land and protecting its natural biodiversity.
Conservation burial is compatible with many other types of environmental friendly body disposition methods. Rather than being buried in a simple shroud or pine casket, other options can be considered, such as the Mushroom Burial Suit, which cleanses toxins from the human body before they can be released into the soil. If a body is buried in a Capsula Mundi pod, it can directly feed the growth of a new tree. The nutrient rich soil leftover from the Recomposition or Promession processes can be spread at the cemetery to help the plants. The powered remains from alkaline hydrolysis can be spread or buried as well.
Photograph of grave at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary from Conserving Carolina:
The Carolina Memorial Sanctuary in Asheville, NC, is an example of a conservation cemetery. The graves used are dug by hand to avoid disrupting the local plant life, and flat rocks are used to mark the burial sites to preserve the natural appearance. The land was acquired in 2014, and had previously been a dairy farm, according to Conserving Carolina. The new owner of the land, Cassie Barrett, joined with environmental restoration expert Shaun Moore to help the land return to its original wetland state through stream restoration and containing the invasive plant species to allow for biodiversity of native species to return. As the land was restored, wildlife began to flourish as well, including wood frogs that appeared months after the wetland was revitalized. Conserving Carolina quotes Cassie Barrett as stating:
“The way this land feels has changed dramatically from when we were first here. Before, it felt like you would expect it to feel because it had been neglected for so long—it almost had a slight hollowness. But now I think when people come here they can feel all of the love, whether it’s the love that goes into the burials or the love that’s been put into the land, restoring it.”
The land in Asheville has now been restored to its original state of biodiversity and is protected and maintained by the bodies buried within it.
Until death do us part,
Alyssa
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