Cemetery Sees Demand for Green Burials (2013)
Cemetery Sees Demand for Green Burials
by Amanda K. Jaros for Tompkins Weekly, originally published Oct. 28, 2013
When life comes to an end, a growing number of people are making one last environmentally sound choice. They give back to the earth by choosing a final resting place within a natural cemetery.
Tompkins County is no stranger to green burials. Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield sits on 100 acres of meadows and forests, and is buffered on most sides by 3,000 acres of the Arnot State Forest.
“It’s the unknown that’s the scariest thing,” says Greensprings burial coordinator and co-founder Jennifer Johnson. “There is a real beauty in seeing the body [of a loved one] lowered, and participating in the ceremony.”
Walking around the property, one sees humps of all sizes spaced across the meadow. There are fresh piles of dirt covered with straw for the grasses to grow tucked into little groves of trees. Some hills are barely recognizable as burial sites, not more than a slight lump of budding goldenrod and asters.
The goal of green burial is to leave the land as ecologically sound as possible, allowing the earth to take the human body back into its fold quietly. Greensprings differs from traditional cemeteries with a focus on that quiet return to the earth. There are rules and regulations to ensure this.
Under ground, no body may be buried at Greensprings that is embalmed or chemically preserved in any way, and concrete or other vaults are not allowed inside the grave. In addition, the body may only be buried covered in a cotton or wool shroud, or inside a wooden casket, preferably with wood harvested and crafted by carpenters locally. Above ground, no site may be adorned with polished or cut grave markers or statues.
“It’s hard when people lose a loved one—they want to mark the spot,” says Johnson. What is permitted is a flat rock, sometimes engraved. Often rocks are found when the grave is dug, and people opt to use one of those as a marker.
“There has been a lot of learning, and the process has evolved,” Johnson says of the growth of Greensprings. She and a friend began looking into natural burial in 2000. She says they “didn’t know anything” as they researched cemetery laws of New York State. When they met Ithacans Carl Leopold and Mary Woodsen, “things started happening.” After several years of joining forces, planning and receiving help from the New York Cemetery Board, in May 2006, Greensprings opened its gates for burials.
Johnson emits a sense of calm as she talks about her work. Her job is to help families understand the process and procedures at Greensprings, but she is much more than a coordinator. Johnson fills the role of counselor to families experiencing grief. “This is the place to cry out loud and feel emotions. I encourage it. People are in their rawest form, and this is the place to be with nature and feel feelings,” she says.
The meadows of Greensprings are a comforting place to experience grief, she says, and the property is a beautiful final resting place. There are several meadows to choose from when planning. A designated field is roped off for people of the Jewish faith, many of whom hold certain religious rules about their burial sites. There is also the West Meadow, which is a rolling hillside of mostly tall grasses and open space, punctuated by a few evergreen trees. And there is the newly opened Bobolinks Meadow, which is nearer the road. This area can be accessed in winter, thus allowing couples or families to guarantee plots next to each other. The meadows are marked by a grid system that is regulated with records of both pre-sold and occupied sites.
To date there have been almost 200 burials at Greensprings, with many plots sold for the future. People of all faiths have held a range of religious ceremonies over the years, from traditional Christian rituals, to the honoring of several customs in one ceremony, to Buddhist chanting. “The majority of people who choose this are spiritual, rather than religious,” Johnson says. A theme that pervades these ceremonies is a deep connection to the earth.
Johnson finds the list of positives of this final choice hard to narrow down. “It’s green, lowimpact. We are not using chemicals,” she says. “It allows people to return to the earth in a natural state and offers real closure for families. It’s so quiet up here. I love the quiet.”
For many, that quiet hillside is the best place to end up. For more information about Greensprings, go to www.naturalburial.org