The Green Burial Guidebook

by Elizabeth Fournier

  End-of-life doulas and home funeral guides are not the same. According to Lee Webster, founding member of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance and former president of the National Home Funeral Alliance, “There is a distinct legal difference and set of regulations that oversee pre- and post-death care....Can someone be both? Certainly, but not necessarily. Are they interchangeable? No.”

  Nancy Ward, who runs Sacred Endings in Scappoose, Oregon, says about home funeral guiding, “It’s a lost art. We’re bringing back a tradition where we empower the family to do a sacred duty.”

  Chapter 6

  A PLACE TO REST

  Green Cemeteries and Backyard Burials

  The basic tenets of environmentally friendly living are now being posed for environmentally friendly dying. Green burial is all about sustainability and developing funeral practices that support and heal nature rather than disrupt and harm it. One key to the natural-burial movement is green or natural cemeteries, much like the town churchyard and farmer’s field where bodies were once buried in a shroud or biodegradable box. Today, modern cemeteries have almost completely replaced these practices, but the good news is that traditional cemeteries are on the decline. They are losing business to cremation, and with green burials on the rise, green cemeteries are appearing to accommodate them.

  However, for many, there’s something appealing about the return to family cemetery plots on family land. Of course, this practice enjoys a very, very long tradition in America. It’s what families did for generations — burying loved ones on the family property. So, this chapter first looks at green cemeteries, and then it describes what you need to know to conduct your own backyard burial, including how to properly dig a grave. Finally, it briefly explores a third green burial option: burial at sea.

  Green Burial Grounds and Cemeteries

  A green cemetery doesn’t try to control nature with pesticides, pristine lawns, nonbiodegradable caskets, and concrete burial vaults. Green burial grounds allow the physical world to bloom and blossom; they encourage the indigenous shrubs, wildflowers, woodlands, and grasslands that support the area’s birds and other wildlife.

  Of course, you may or may not be able to find a genuinely green cemetery where you live. However, some traditional cemeteries allow certain green practices, so always ask. For instance, according to the National Funeral Directors Association, “The use of outer burial containers or vaults is not required by federal or state law, but is required by many cemeteries. In many rural areas, vaults or grave liners are usually not required.” The reason traditional cemeteries usually require a vault is to keep their graveyards from developing a wavy-gravy look. Once biodegradable caskets decompose, the earth will settle, leaving depressions.

  The Three Categories of Green Burial Grounds

  The Green Burial Council distinguishes three types of green burial grounds: hybrid, natural, and conservation. Here is their official definition of each:

  Hybrid Burial Grounds are conventional cemeteries offering the option for burial without the need for a vault (partial, inverted, or otherwise), a vault lid, concrete box, slab, or partitioned liner. Hybrid Burial Grounds shall not require the embalming of decedents and must allow for any kind of eco-friendly burial containers, including shrouds.

  Natural Burial Grounds require the adoption of practices/protocols that are energy-conserving, minimize waste, and do not require the use of toxic chemicals. A Natural Burial Ground achieves GBC certification by prohibiting the use of vaults (partial, inverted, or otherwise), vault lids, concrete boxes, slabs, or partitioned liners, and by prohibiting the burial of decedents embalmed with toxic chemicals, as well as by banning burial containers not made from natural/plant-derived materials. It must have in place a program of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and be designed, operated, and maintained to produce a naturalistic appearance, based on use of plants and materials native to the region, and patterns of landscape derived from and compatible with regional ecosystems.

  Conservation Burial Grounds, in addition to meeting all the requirements for a Natural Burial Ground, must further legitimate land conservation. It must protect in perpetuity an area of land specifically and exclusively designated for conservation. A Conservation Burial Ground must involve an established conservation organization that holds a conservation easement or has in place a deed restriction guaranteeing long-term stewardship.

  If there is not a natural or conservation burial ground close to you, a hybrid burial ground may be easier to find. These are standard cemeteries that typically have an area set aside that does not require a casket or grave liner. Cemeteries all over the country are considering and opening sections for natural burial spaces, so never hesitate to pick up the phone and ask your local cemetery directly.

  As you research possible cemeteries, you will find some graveyards are set in very contemporary, natural environs. Williamsburg Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario, boasts beautiful wetlands, encourages bird-watching, and has natural walking trails and ponds; this cemetery has fully integrated their burial areas in a natural-looking garden. But despite this serene and reflective exterior, all gravesites require liners, and therefore this cannot be considered a hybrid, natural, or conservation cemetery.

  For a list of green burial grounds in the United States and Canada, see page 163.

  What If You Already Own Cemetery Lots?

  As I’ve said, most local cemeteries require the use of a burial vault to maintain flat ground in their memorial park. However, ask if the cemetery will allow for the burial vault to be placed upside down, over the top of the casket. This helps ensure two things: The casket can be as close to the ground as possible, so the deceased will eventually rejoin with the earth, and yet this still provides a suitable surface for maintaining level ground.

  Obviously, if you are paying for a grave space at a green burial cemetery or hybrid cemetery, they have you covered. You’ll be able to have a green burial, and you won’t need to worry about the logistics, as you do with a backyard burial. Still, if using your own John Deere and making your own hole in the ground is important to you, you need to find a different location than a traditional cemetery.

  Backyard Burials

  A backyard burial encompasses burying a person on residential property, or land that is privately owned. This precludes any land that has been endorsed as an actual cemetery. Most bodies are buried in established cemeteries, but burial on private property may be possible. Laws vary not only state to state but county to county; it’s most accepted and typical in rural settings.

  Backyard burial in very sandy soil (Photo credit: Elizabeth Fournier)

  If you are considering a backyard burial, think carefully about what it may mean for the property itself and the person who owns it (which may be yourself). All other issues aside, burying someone on private land impacts the future sale of that property. In addition, however remote the concern may be, you should consider how you’d feel, and what you would do, if your deceased loved one resided on property that you no longer owned.

  For instance, depending on the type of property, the land could become fundamentally unmarketable to succeeding buyers if the interred body isn’t relocated, and even then, a stigma might remain that makes selling the tract difficult. Not only that, exhuming and transferring a body is expensive. However, even if this isn’t done and the property is sold, family members and others won’t necessarily have access to the property to visit the gravesite anymore. Perhaps most unsettling of all, what if the land is sold and developed for a different use, one that rattles the bones in their resting place?

  In light of these issues, reflect on all the possible outcomes before committing to creating a private burial ground on residentially zoned property. Further, don’t make this decision without legal guidance and consultation, and begin the planning process well in advance. It can involve a lot of paperwork.

  But do not let these cautions discourage you if this is your dream or the final wishes of someone you love.
I am truly finding that people are increasingly embracing the mindset of ashes to ashes and dust to dust, and many families I have served would not have done it any other way.

  Legal Considerations with Residential Burials

  Regarding the future sale of the property, it is the responsibility of the property owner to disclose if human remains are buried anywhere on the land. The owner must agree to maintain and provide records of the disposition on the property, and agree to disclose the disposition of human remains upon sale of the property.

  As for the legality of the burial itself, the property will be governed by local laws, so consult with your local health authority prior to planning the burial. Personally, I run every address by my county’s zoning and planning department just to make sure. For this guidebook, I hesitate to generalize, as the rules vary by county and town. In essence, private property burial is often allowed, but each area has slightly different requirements.

  One thing you must do, no matter whose name is on the property’s deed, is to get the written consent of any mortgage or lien holders. As well, you must meet all state requirements for the completion of the death certificate and acquire all transport permits or other required documentation.

  Home burials in Oregon must meet certain environmental standards. For instance, land in which surface water or ground drainage enters other water sources — like a pond, stream, well, tributary, and so on — cannot be used for burial purposes without written approval from the Oregon Department of Environmental Protection. I’ve read other regulations that stipulate that private burial sites “should be 150 feet from a water supply, 100 feet from a drilled well, and 25 feet from a power line....It’s also a good idea to bury at least 20 feet from the setback on your property.” Finally, even when you can create a family burial ground on your own land, you cannot charge money for burial rites. Most people wouldn’t, but this is just an example of the many issues and concerns you should investigate before moving forward.

  TIP: Mother Nature Network offers this excellent advice: “If you bury a body on private land, you should draw a map of the property showing the burial ground and file it with the property deed so the location will be clear to others in the future.”

  How to Dig a Grave

  Traditionally, back in the day, the church sexton was the person in charge of digging and preparing the gravesite at a cemetery. This was part of the sexton’s overall duties to maintain the church grounds and buildings. Today, cemeteries usually have or hire a crew to help with these responsibilities. If you are undertaking your own backyard burial, this section will guide you in doing this yourself.

  The first thing to consider is where to place the grave. You will want an area clear of obvious boulders and tree roots, and the type of soil can make a big difference in digging. According to the website Funeral Helper, “Heavy clay soils will require much greater effort to excavate than finer, richer soils. If very sandy soil is present, then burials are not recommended, as the risk of it collapsing and therefore the risk of injury is high.”

  Opening of burial trench in grass field on private land (Photo credit: Elizabeth Fournier)

  Then, is it really true you must bury a body “six feet under”? No. In fact, graves only need to be three or four feet deep. According to Mental Floss magazine, the phrase “six feet under” came from a 1665 flu epidemic in England, which wiped out a lot of citizens. London’s mayor “laid down the law about how to deal with all of the future dead bodies to avoid further infections.” Today, cemeteries only dig graves that are six or seven feet deep when they plan to place another body on top of it in the future. In the funeral industry, we call this a double grave, double depth, double stacked, or even bunk beds.

  TALES FROM THE GRAVE

  If you’re having a backyard burial, be thankful it’s no longer the Middle Ages in Western Europe. Since people were afraid that a dead person’s spirit might return to haunt the living and cause trouble, morticians decapitated cadavers before burial. According to a story in the Houston Chronicle, “For those who had committed suicide, more drastic measures were taken; a mortician would thrust a stake through the deceased’s heart at midnight.”

  Digging the Grave and Preparing for Burial

  Digging a grave is hard work. Don’t let images you’ve seen on movies or television fool you. It takes a lot of time and energy to move many pounds of dirt. On average, with two or more people digging with shovels, it will take about three hours to dig a four-foot-deep grave. Obviously, measure the coffin or container to be buried very carefully to determine the size of the hole. The last thing you want is a grave that’s too short or too narrow, nor do you want to dig more than you need to. On average, graves are about thirty-six inches wide by eighty-four inches long to accommodate grave liners or standard-size caskets, but with backyard burials you have the flexibility to create a custom-sized grave as long as the chosen burial container will lower and rest comfortably inside the space.

  As for digging tools, you have two basic choices: backhoe or shovel. Two different methods, and two completely different experiences and time frames. If you’re digging by hand, use a long-handled, steel shovel. The long handle is preferable to minimize back pain or strain from standing, bending, and shoveling for long periods of time. A square-shaped model works very well for moving dirt and small rocks.

  As for a backhoe, I recommend a small rubber-tracked excavator, with a backfill blade on the front, because of their small size and agility. Once positioned, these small earth-movers can dig 360 degrees and usually handle a bigger bucket than a compact tractor-mounted backhoe. I believe some even have special buckets just for digging graves to give you that square-cornered, flat bottom. If you’re digging a deeper grave, you might want an extended hoe for extra reach and depth. That said, green burials often discourage using heavy machinery for digging graves in order to preserve the natural setting as much as possible.

  TIP: According to professional gravediggers, shovel slowly and steadily and “begin your dirt pile far from the hole, so there is room nearby to put the last shovelfuls when fatigue sets in and you’re deep in your first grave.” In addition, bring a small ladder, so that it’s easy to get out of the grave at the end of a tiring day!

  Here are some step-by-step instructions for digging a grave and preparing the gravesite for a ceremony. These are adapted from advice given by Britain’s Jonny Yaxley, who was named England’s Gravedigger of the Year in 2014.

  •Outline the dimensions to be dug with sand, string, or preferably some organic material. (Yaxley uses spray paint.)

  •Cut along the outline with a spade, and then remove strips of turf as carefully as possible, arranging them like jigsaw pieces on plywood sheets laid nearby. (Yaxley removes the turf with an excavator claw.)

  •Dig the grave and level the bottom. Stand on the rim and smooth the sidewalls with a heavy spade.

  •For appearance, line the bottom of the grave with sawdust, twigs, or leaves.

  •Position wood board planks along the edge of the hole to ensure firm footing for the pallbearers.

  •If you wish, use rolls of artificial turf to cover any dirt or areas around the grave that might be unsightly to the mourners.

  •On the carpet in front of the hole, lay two wooden beams on which the coffin or shroud will rest. On the beams, lay out whatever webbing, ropes, or straps you will use to lower the deceased into the ground.

  TALES FROM THE GRAVE

  In 2016, the second annual Grave Digging Competition saw ten, two-person teams from Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary compete to see who would win the crown as the fastest gravediggers in Europe. The winning team, from Slovakia, dug their grave in less than an hour.

  Lowering the Body and Closing the Grave

  Since the burial is not happening at a cemetery, a proper lowering device will not be on hand. This means ropes or straps are the only way to make sure the coffin, basket, or other biodegradable container is lowered smoothly and completely. It wor
ks best if six to eight physically capable people help with the lowering, and if each person holds their own strap or rope. If you’re concerned about weight, I recommend using more handles and more attendants. Better too many than too few, and remember: Slow and steady!

  If the deceased is being buried in a shroud or nonrigid container, realize that bodies don’t distribute their weight evenly. Lowering will go smoother if the body is placed on a solid wood board. Sometimes shrouds have a two-by-four sewn inside as well. You will want to deal with these logistics before your arrival at the deceased’s new resting place.

  Opened grave ready to receive loved one for burial at Gibson Cemetery, Estacada, OR (Photo credit: Elizabeth Fournier)

  After the body has been lowered into the grave and the service has been completed, it will be time to close the grave. Often, replacing the dirt is incorporated into the funeral ritual itself. This might be merely ceremonial, with people tossing handfuls of dirt over the body, or it could be more robust, with family and friends taking turns returning whole shovelfuls of earth.

  Completed burial at the Meadow Natural Burial Grounds at Greenacres Memorial Park, Ferndale, WA (Photo credit: Elizabeth Fournier)

  When this is done and the mourners have gone, or once everyone is ready for the next step of the process, return to complete backfilling and closing the grave. Using either shovels or machinery, return all the previously removed dirt. If you set aside portions of turf, restore these. Either way, it’s best to leave the grave somewhat rounded on top, since some settling will occur as the container and body decompose over time. Later, to maintain the ethos of natural burial, plant only native species of vegetation and flowers over the grave.