What is a Natural Burial?
A natural burial is the act of returning a body as naturally as possible to the earth. To achieve this, we recommend that the body not be embalmed or cremated, but instead buried in a simple casket or shroud, in a protected green space.

Why is this a better alternative than
conventional practices?
Making the choice for natural burial means you are choosing a low impact burial. It is a choice that reduces energy and resource consumption, and one that is less toxic. There are many people who live consciously with environmentally friendly options, and a natural burial is consistent with those choices.

Are there any natural burial grounds in Canada?
Yes - one in Victoria, BC (robp.ca) and one in Cobourg, Ontario (ecoburials.ca/).
There are over 200 in the United Kingdom, and in the U.S. there are sites in South Carolina, Florida, New York, and groups in several other states including Colorado, California, Washington and Wisconsin have efforts underway to establish green cemeteries that center on land preservation.

How does it work?
A human corpse normally decays within 10 to 12 years. We are made up mostly of water (64%), protein (20%), carbohydrates (1%), mineral salts (5%) and fat (10%). The rate of decay is influenced by availability of nutrients, pH level of the soil, climate, soil lithography, and burial practices. The body’s components become integrated into the natural ecosystem.

Are there markers to identify where
the bodies have been buried?
Many choose not to have any marker at all, but some prefer a marker, to memorialize the deceased. As Christopher Wren (1632 - 1723), the architect of many of London's great landmarks wrote, "If you want to see my monument, look around you!"

Without a gravestone how are the
dead remembered?
Natural Burial grounds only contain natural markers that don’t intrude on the landscape. These natural markers can include shrubs and trees, or a flat indigenous stone, which may be engraved. As in all cemeteries, there are careful records kept of every interment, and mapped with a GIS (geographic information system). We also encourage an electronic archive to be available for visitors to learn about those buried in the grounds.

What are the costs associated with Natural Burial?
A natural burial may be a less expensive option than a conventional burial. What makes a natural burial different from a financial perspective is that the costs are better allocated, with money carrying on the legacy of the deceased by protecting green space instead of the mark-up on expensive, unnecessary materials and procedures. Cremation is typically a cheaper option, but all of the environmental costs are not factored in.

Are there any dangers burying people
directly into the ground?
One of the important components of our standards is an environmental assessment which will determine the suitability of any proposed site, and an official environmental assessment of the capacity of the natural cemetery.