FAQs and Talking Points

  • Natural burial rejects the idea of putting non-native wood, metals, man-made fabrics, or anything else that doesn’t decompose, into the earth. You or your family member can be buried in a casket made from locally sourced materials/wood, wicker, a burial shroud made from organic materials/fabric with or without a carrying tray, or cremation vessels (strong cardboard material) that can be decorated by friends and family. We plan to connect with local makers and artisans as well as funeral homes to make sure the public has as many sustainable options available as possible.

  • Here is the short version: The body is made up of around 64% water, 20% protein, 10% fat, 5% minerals and 1% carbohydrates. Shortly after death, cells begin to die; proteins ultimately release gases, carbohydrates break down to sugars (the bacteria and fungi naturally in soil help with this process). Enzymes within body organs break down those systems and small bugs and organisms help the rest of the way. At 50F degrees, it takes approximately 4 months for an unimpeded body to break down to just skeletal remains. While awaiting burial, this process can be slowed tremendously by keeping the body cold. It can take up to 20 years for bones to completely reabsorb into soil in most conditions.

  • Natural burial grounds do not allow large concrete markers. While we are still establishing the rules for our specific operation, we can tell you that all graves will be marked with a GPS pin and we will likely welcome native stone markers as well.

  • Many people who say they want to be cremated generally mean that they don’t want to be embalmed, beautified, and buried in a big expensive casket. While green burial actually sequesters and pulls carbon out of the atmosphere at the rate of 25 lbs CO2 per burial (that is 10 tons per acre!), each human flame cremation creates 150 to 530 lbs. of CO2 on average, at a huge cost to the environment. Additionally, what most people do not know is that cremated remains are acidic with a high PH (similar to ammonia). A tree or shrub planted where cremated remains have been scattered, while lovingly well-intended, often has difficulty thriving. The remains are so acid that our National Parks have actually asked the public to stop spreading cremains at popular vistas, as the acidity is choking out vegetation. We do plan to accept cremated remains that have been amended (mixed with) a special organic product by the company Let Your Love Grow. Let us help!

  • We believe in the right to ethical, balanced, and responsible use of lands for ALL people. This is a movement to increase access to and participation in natural spaces; intergenerationally, multiracially, and economically. We want to intentionally stop doing things that systemically challenge certain populations and recognized land and customs appropriation while doing so. Our organization is accepting and adaptable to ALL religious and spiritual practices and will accept funeral home-directed as well as family-directed burials. We will of course also help to host military honours for your family member and will work with any and all clergy-directed wishes as well.

  • According to the National Cancer Institute, embalmers are at an 8 times higher risk of contracting leukemia and have at 3 times higher risk of contracting ALS and other auto-immune and neurological diseases than the general population. Today, if a family elects to have their loved one embalmed, there are newer eco-embalming choices available to funeral homes, such as that from the company ENIGMA, that would still allow for a green burial. Funeral homes provide essential services to our communities and we should all care about their health and safety.

  • We all know that funerals can be financially expensive, but what most people don’t know is how costly returning a body to the earth can be for the environment. Each year, an estimated 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete are poured into the ground for burial plots, and 30 million board feet of hardwood is used for caskets. Cemeteries also take up alot of space that tends to only have one purpose. At over 2 millions deaths per year, our current death practices are simply unsustainable. Even cremation has environmental consequences (outlined in the “what about cremation and cremains” tab above).

  • Anyone will be welcome to visit our property during daylight hours. The land we select will look more like a serene nature preserve with a walking trail than what a typical cemetery looks like. Even if you do not have a loved one here, this land is meant to be enjoyed by all. Each burial will be marked with a GPS pin to help families to always know where their loved one is, even when nature starts to take the burial site back. Locations and records will be kept in perpetuity, as outlined in Wisconsin State Statutes.

  • Unlike standard cemeteries, you will not be able to select your exact resting place in advance. While this news can be initially jarring because it isn’t what we are used to, it serves a very good purpose in meeting our land conservation goals. Our burial preserve will be quite large and we will not be able to operate on all areas at the same time. The goal is to open the preserve to burials in sections. What section is open at any given time will be determined with help from our conservation partners after carefully surveying the land and using the areas most in need of conservation, first. So while you won’t know exactly where you will be buried, you can rest assured knowing that each and every space will be equally important, special, and beautifully organic. If you are purchasing a space with us pre-need, know that what you are buying is the right to be buried on the preserve and all the affiliated costs that go with that.

    *Please note that for families buying a “companion” grave (two graves next to each other) pre-need, your companion space will be determined after the first person passes away and you will be guaranteed burial in that companion space regardless of when the second person passes away.

  • Likely. Because most religious traditions define a good burial as one that is respectful to the body and to the earth, it is likely that this type of burial would work with most any religious tradition.

    There are multiple articles on the internet the are encouraging of Catholics to have a natural burial. In one such article in the National Catholic Reporter, Fr. Charles Morris states, “While some may regard this form of burial as odd, remember that Jesus was laid to rest in a shroud without embalming or a burial vault. This has been the way Christians have honored their loved ones throughout most of the church’s 2,000 years.” Read it here

    For the Muslim faith, it is already common to be buried in a shroud, un-embalmed/in a natural state, and we will accommodate all requests to have a body positioned correctly facing Mecca per the family’s request.

    Jewish tradition emphasize respecting the body with natural decomposition, avoiding embalming, and being laid to rest in very simple wooden caskets.

  • No. Our expertise and purpose will be limited providing land conservation through a reawakened interest in natural burial. We will not be a seller of funeral goods and would prefer to partner with funeral homes and funeral product makers in our community, instead. Additionally, Wisconsin State law prohibits cemeteries from having any financial interest in funeral homes, and vice versa. 

  • Because we are in the start-up phase, we think the most important steps you can take right now are:

    1) Informing your family of your interest in having a green burial.

    2) Joining our mailing list to be the first to know when we are ready to fulfill such requests.

  • Absolutely. As the project unfolds, we plan to have scheduled talks around the community so you can get answers to all of your questions and interact in-person with someone from our organization.

  • One of the major tenets of this project is to provide access to burial choice that is largely affordable for all. We also aim to specifically reach out to address needs of disproportionately impacted persons, such as lower income communities. Additionally, we aim to connect with historically marginalized groups and be a safe place for communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, and minority faith groups, as examples. You will see costs significantly less than the average “typical” burial for our area. This land is for EVERYONE and EVERYONE is welcome. Additionally, we plan to establish a fund to assist families experiencing severe financial hardship with burial expenses.

  • This is a really common fear and misconception. No, animals are not interested and cannot smell you. Even if they could, it is way too much effort for the animal. Bodies in a conservation cemetery are buried at a 3.5 to 4 ft. depth which provides for an 18-24 inches smell barrier when the grave is filled in. There have been zero recorded incidents of bodies being buried at these depths that have been disturbed by animals.

  • Bodies decompose right where they are. The products of decomposition do not reach aquifers or the water table. The soil itself actually benefits from our organic material and in turn, is a natural filter for heavy metals. Most municipalities have rules for setbacks from any type of burial grounds. Our last act as a person can be to provide nutrients back to the earth which sustained us for our lifetime.

  • Embalming is NOT a legal requirement in ANY state in the U.S. Natural burial (without embalming) was actually the standard practice in the U.S. before the Civil War. So many men died fighting in the war that there was a great need to preserve bodies for the long journey home. Bodies that are unembalmed do NOT pose risks to public health and there are alternatives (such as keeping a body cold) available that can keep a body in good condition for a viewing/final goodbyes and for the funeral. It is a myth that bodies become more dangerous after they die. We look forward to partnering with funerals homes open to providing options and education about green burial for their customers.

  • Burial is possible all year, even in Wisconsin winter conditions, with the use of ground-thawing blankets and other similar warming equipment.