Educational Articles
Vermont Green Burial Advocate Dies, Settles for Cremation
BY JOEL BANNER BAIRD FOR THE FREE PRESS | March 12, 2018 In his final months, Jack Griffin of Burlington, VT lobbied hard for an earth-friendly green burial — but he ran out of time. Jack Griffin settled for ashes two weeks before he died last month. His public request for a green burial ...
Continue ReadingThinking About Having a ‘Green’ Funeral? Here’s What to Know
By SONYA VATOMSKY for NY TIMES | MARCH 22, 2018 A typical American funeral usually involves a few hallmarks we’ve come to expect: an expensive coffin, lots of flowers, an embalming for the deceased and a number of other add-ons. But how necessary are those embellishments? Enter the “green burial.” The ...
Continue ReadingGrieving Santa Rosa Family Reclaims Old Ways, Brings Son’s Body Home to Say Good-bye
MEG MCCONAHEY FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | March 9, 2018 When Carl Hamilton got the news that every parent dreads, his fatherly instinct kicked in. His son Chris was lying alone at the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office, the victim of a middle-of-the-night car crash. Against all modern convention, Hamilton decided he ...
Continue ReadingTennessee 'Natural' Burial Ground Will Offer A Simpler Farewell — Casket Optional
Larkspur Conservation in Sumner County, Tenn., is a beautiful, parklike setting, with hiking trails and picnic areas and, soon, occasional burial plots. The 112 acres of serene rolling hills are protected by a conservation easement through the Nature Conservancy. Larkspur's founders hope it will offer families a greener — and ...
Continue ReadingScattering Ashes: What You Need to Know
Scattering ashes, also called cremated remains, is a poplular choice when a person or family chooses cremation. If you're seeking answers on what you can do with the ashes, look no further. Below you can find guidelines about what you can do with the ashes on land, water, and air. What you ...
Continue ReadingDon't Burn Your Body When You're Dead: Dissolving Yourself Is Much More Eco-Friendly
Liquifying a body is cleaner and greener than traditional burials and cremation. By Robin Scher / AlterNet January 25, 2018, 8:30 PM GMT There are many ways to embark on the journey to the great beyond. One popular custom is the coffin burial. Or rather it was, until cemeteries began running out of ground space. And conventional burials ...
Continue ReadingBurial Practices That Nourish the Earth
In this TedMed Talk by Caitlin Doughty (Ask a Mortician), she dives into greener death practices that nourish our earth. Practices like composting of the dead and natural burials on conservational burial grounds. You will also learn about the affects of cremation, how green it is, and America's current death-care ...
Continue ReadingTop Non-Religious Rituals for Celebrations of Life
One of the best parts of being a Funeral Celebrant is helping families think of Rituals for the Ceremony. Some of these create interaction with the guests attending. Words and music are important; however, the Rituals are something visual that almost everyone remembers. People will often comment, “I have never seen ...
Continue ReadingSnapchat filters for funerals? Yes, that's really a thing
Aaron Robinson/CNET BY ALFRED NG for CNET, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 Snapchat geofilters are normally for birthdays and weddings. But people are making them for funerals, too. A somber mood enveloped Stephenie Buchanan's family after her brother Tarrence's funeral. Following the service in May, family and friends gathered in a hall to celebrate ...
Continue ReadingWhat to do When Someone Dies
To a lot of people, death seems scary. The vast majority of Americans (around 80%) die in hospitals and nursing homes rather than at home, in part because it seems easier to leave death in the hands of medical professionals than to handle the end-of-life process ourselves. In reality, a ...
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