Green Burial Massachusetts End of Year Update

Thank you for a successful 2019! Dear Supporters of Green Burial                                      Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc (GBM) continues to engage the public in important conversations about green burial options, and we welcome your involvement.  We began our work as the Green Burial Committee a little over 10 years ago. Back in those early days, many people had never heard of green burial, let alone considered it an option for themselves. Information on green burial for the general public was sparse. Mark Harris's pivotal book, Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial had just been published and was one of the few mainstream resources that we could draw on for our own work in educating the public. Now we see articles on green burial in the popular press such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, covered on National Public Radio, and featured in publications from YES! Magazine to The Economist.  The topic of green burial is a part of social media, blog posts, podcasts, and is included as a lively point of conversation on discussion boards. This growing interest in green burial has provided expanded opportunities for our Green Burial Massachusetts team to give presentations, table at community events and conferences, and consult with cities and towns interested in exploring green burial options. In partnership with Kestrel Land Trust, with our shared vision of a Conservation Burial Ground, we analyzed two possible properties in the Pioneer Valley. Each of the parcels had around 100 acres, with beautiful vistas and comprising both forest and meadow. Unfortunately, the soils of the first parcel were too wet, and the second one was snapped up by another, non-cemetery business. Our ability to respond quickly to land that becomes available is dependent upon your financial support. We have worked at this for 10 years; however, our vision keeps us strong in our commitment to found a conservation burial ground in Massachusetts open to all. As you'll see in our 2019 Look Back, we are building our board, expanding our organization, and bringing new and creative ways to engage those interested in learning more about green burial. We are grateful for your continued support over the years and look forward to new projects in 2020! Thank you for sharing your passion for green burial. Peace, From all of us at Green Burial Massachusetts   A Look Back at 2019 This was a great year for Green Burial Massachusetts. We expanded our board, launched our 501(c)(13) non-profit cemetery organization, and our team was out in force, continuing the conversation and helping generate excitement about natural burial. Here are just a few highlights:  Representatives and volunteers from GBM spoke to audiences in a variety of locales, from libraries, churches, and hospices to community and senior centers all over Massachusetts, as well as an anthropology class at Smith College.     We continue to work closely with our partner, Kestrel Land Trust, to identify suitable land for a conservation cemetery. In the process, we have learned a great deal about what we need to consider in terms of location, soil conditions, and state requirements and regulations. We are optimistic that this hard work will bear fruit in 2020!   Our searchable database of cemeteries offering green burials (created in partnership with the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts) continues to grow!    We co-hosted a coffin-making workshop with the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts last June in Greenfield that was a huge success. You can read more about it here.     Our volunteers also participated in events across the Commonwealth, sharing information about green burial at the Greater Newburyport Green Expo, Amherst Sustainability Festival, and Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) Conference in Worcester.     Candace Currie and Joan Pillsbury attended a panel discussion called "Conservation Burial Grounds: Conservation Opportunities, Site Location, Legal Issues & Best Practices" at the Maine Land Trust Conference last April. Speakers included Howard Lake from the Kennebec Land Trust (KLT), Maine State Soil Scientist Dave Rocque, and Jeff Masten from Land Matters in North Carolina.  Green Burial in the News Berkshires of Massachusetts hosts an Homage to the Afterlife Amy Cunningham, Green Burial Council-certified and Brooklyn-based funeral director, visited the Berkshires of Massachusetts, to speak at an event launched by a newly formed group in Western Massachusetts–Gatekeepers–a mortality resource network. The event comprised an art installation, gong bath experience, lantern walk through the woods, and ceremonial altar to honor our ancestors and loved ones. Amy's moving tribute was on the Abiding Soul and Role of Reflective Ritual. The event also included a Q&A session in which audience members asked about green burial and where it can occur in the Berkshires. Read the full article on our site. West Tisbury goes green on death On the recommendation of the board of health, West Tisbury selectmen voted unanimously to amend town cemetery regulations to allow for green burials. Read more at the Martha's Vineyard Times as well as the follow-up Letter to the Editor: "Green burials are a good choice" from Candace Currie of Green Burial Massachusetts. Updates from the Cape and Islands   Dawn Walsh, a volunteer and green burial advocate who attended our GBM Training 101 in October of 2018, recently launched The Lily House, a non-profit organization raising funds to open a "community home for living and dying in Provincetown."  The Lily House is part of a nationwide, grassroots movement of community homes for end-of-life care. They are a member of the Omega Home Network and provide information and assistance with community-based after-death care.   Read coverage via the The Provincetown Independent or visit TheLilyHouse.org.  Meet our Two Newest Board Members This fall, we voted in two new members to the Green Burial Massachusetts Board. Sophia Sayigh joins our 501(c)(3) organizational board while Jo Oltman is a member of our new newly established 501(c)(13) non-profit cemetery board.  Sophia Sayigh was drawn to the idea of returning to the earth as naturally as possible as soon as she found out about it ten years ago, and immediately organized a well-attended GBM information night at her local library to spread the word. A former librarian and lay breastfeeding counselor, she currently volunteers for AHEM, a homeschool advocacy nonprofit.She is also a member of the Brewster Cemetery Commission. Jo Oltman has been death positive for as long as she can remember, and she is passionate about green burial. She has visited and photographed dozens of iconic cemeteries and is excited about creating the first conservation burial ground in Massachusetts. Currently, Jo also serves as a senior marketing specialist for a Boston-based landscape architecture firm that specializes in cemetery planning.  Results of this year's #GivingTuesday Thank you to everyone who gave to us this #GivingTuesday.   We're thrilled to report that Green Burial Massachusetts received more than $500 thanks to generous donations from our supporters! People wrote in to thank us for providing information that helped them honor their loved ones while several shared their overall excitement about "bringing green burial to Massachusetts." To all of you, a heartfelt thanks. We can't do it without you.   Please consider a tax-deductible donation to Green Burial Massachusetts as we continue to search for appropriate parcels, educate and advocate on behalf of green burial, and answer your questions about  on where you can find green burial in Massachusetts.  Upcoming Events Please check the website for more detail   Wednesday, March 11, 2020, 7:00 PM "Green Burial: The Environmentally Friendly Option" Council on Aging, Shelburne Falls, MA   Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM "What is Green Burial and Would it Work in Salem?" Life Community Center 401 Bridge Street, Salem, MA Thursday, March 26, 2020 Green Burial Presentation Morse Institute Library 14 E. Central Street, Natick, MA Thursday, April 2, 2020 Green Burial Presentation Sharon Public Library 11 North Main Street, Sharon, MA Tuesday, April 14, 2020 Green Burial Presentation West Boylston Library, West Boylston, MA Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Green Burial Presentation Worthington, MA; location TBD As part of our mission to educate the public about green burial, we are happy to provide speakers. Please contact us if you are interested. Donations are welcome and will support travel expenses of the presenters.  Copyright © 2019 Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via the website, attended a workshop, lecture, or an event at which you requested to hear news about Green Burials in Massachusetts. Thank you for your continued interest. Our mailing address is: Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc. P.O. Box 323 Greenfield, MA 01302-0323 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences