Bellefontaine's Commitment to Natural Burial
Bellefontaine is proud to offer Natural Burial, also referred to as green burial, in addition to our traditional burial and cremation options. Natural burial is an environmentally friendly choice for those wishing to leave a smaller ecological footprint on the earth. This option is free of conventional embalming chemicals and non-renewable resources, and it is often a more affordable funeral choice.
Natural Burial vs. Traditional Burial
Natural Burial is among the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient forms of interment. Unlike traditional burials, natural burials avoid embalming, metal caskets, and burial vaults, which have become standard features for many funerals. Instead, natural burial calls for a biodegradable cloth shroud or a simple casket made from renewable material such as pine, bamboo, or wicker.
The Natural Burial Experience
Those considering natural burial are often surprised to discover how engaging the process can be for family and loved ones. Natural burial offers many opportunities for families to participate in various steps throughout the burial process, such as lowering the body into the grave and filling in the gravespace. Though family participation is entirely optional, many families appreciate the intimacy such close involvement provides.
Two of our Natural Burial families generously shared their experiences with Paul Shankman in this HEC-TV video.
Natural Burial Options at Bellefontaine
Natural Burial is permitted throughout all of Bellefontaine Cemetery, whether on a new or existing family lot, or a single grave in a public lot. Individuals can choose to mix natural burial options with traditional burial practices to meet specific wishes and desires.
We also offer a dedicated Natural Burial area known as Evergreen Meadow. Located on a sunny hillside and surrounded by mature trees, drifts of flowering shrubs, and woodland ground cover, Evergreen Meadow is maintained with limited mechanized maintenance and no use of pesticides or inorganic fertilizers.
Evergreen Meadow
This is our dedicated, two-acre natural burial ground. We maintain this area with limited mechanized care and avoid the use of pesticides or inorganic fertilizers to ensure the most strictly "green" and natural setting for interment. Evergreen Meadow is ideal for families seeking a pure, undisturbed environment.
Traditional Graves & Lots
Natural burial practices are permitted on any new or existing family lot. This option allows families to select eco-friendly options while ensuring relatives can be laid to rest together in a location of historical or personal significance within the Cemetery.
The Bulb Garden
A unique and beautiful communal area for natural burial. The Bulb Garden provides a serene, cultivated setting with stunning seasonal color, offering an alternative for those who prefer a managed garden environment.
Mixed Practice Interment
If a fully natural burial is not your preference, you have the flexibility to choose a combination of practices, such as opting to avoid embalming while retaining other traditional elements.
Evergreen Meadow Requirements
In Evergreen Meadow, specific requirements are integral to each burial:
- Only un-embalmed full burials are permitted; no cremation is allowed in this area.
- Outer container must be simple and biodegradable such as a shroud, willow casket, or pine casket ); no vaults or traditional wood or metal caskets are permitted.
- Graves are natural in appearance and free of individual markers, monuments, or specific plantings.
“It is sort of a nice way to tuck that person in and gently place that first layer on top of them. It helps families with the closure on the physical aspect of death,” says Gracie Griffin, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum’s
Green Burial expert.
Did You Know?
Bellefontaine
Cemetery and Arboretum permits casket or shroud only burial throughout the
grounds. No vaults are required.
Every cemetery has its own specific requirements, and Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum does not require traditional coffins or outer burial containers for Natural Burial.