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Dear Friend of Green Burial,
This has been an exciting and productive few months. As you'll see in our newsletter, our board, for this first time ever, planned an in-person retreat to understand the history and discuss the future of GBM, reflect on lessons learned during our ongoing search for land, and share our hopes and goals for a conservation cemetery Massachusetts. I've been a member of Green Burial Massachusetts for nearly seven years, and this was my first time meeting everyone in person. It was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever!
Please enjoy the words of board members Coco King and Candace Currie as they take you through this special gathering, and celebrate with us as we look back at all of the accomplishments that have been made by the founders of GBM and our incredible volunteers over the many years we've been on this journey together. We still have a long way to go, but looking back, it was impressive to see how far we've already come. I am proud to be part of this group of passionate individuals who have made it their mission to bring natural burial to Massachusetts.
As a bonus of being able to travel to central Massachusetts, I was also able to visit two natural burial grounds, Riverside Woods Natural Burial Ground in Gill (GBM board member Joan Pillsbury is on the Gill Cemetery Commission) and Highland Woods Natural Burial Ground in Montague (co-founder and former GBM board member Judith Lorei is a member of the Montague Cemetery Commission). Being able to see how thoughtfully they were integrating green burial into the natural landscape gave me hope that we will see even more natural burial grounds appearing in the Commonwealth.
Sincerely,
Jo Oltman
President and Board Member, Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc. |
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| The Path of Reflection at Highland Woods Natural Burial Ground in Montague. |
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Green Burial Massachusetts holds a Board Retreat
The Retreat
by Coco King
Board members of the private, nonprofit Green Burial Massachusetts (GBM) Cemetery--a 501(c)(13)--and allies finally got out of our little Zoom boxes and came together in person for our first-ever retreat on April 26th, 2026! This was long overdue — our Zoom meetings were starting to feel like a never-ending loop of the Brady Bunch intro. We want to share our experience because this was a monumental event for so many reasons.
While we know each other well through our bimonthly virtual meetings, we had never all been in the same room at the same time. Most members hadn't seen each other in person for over seven years, and some of us had never actually met face to face. The purpose of this retreat was to connect on a deeper level — not just with each other, but with our shared visions and dreams for Green Burial Massachusetts.
Prior to the retreat, two Stoke Collective members interviewed board members and gathered inventory questions to intentionally shape our time together. We began by pairing up with a fellow board member we hadn't connected with before and sharing our personal stories of how we each found our way to GBM. While every story was unique, a common theme emerged: the loss of a loved one. That moment of vulnerability reminded me why I got into green burial in the first place, and it made me feel even more deeply bonded to my fellow board members.
Following these reflections, our "OGs" (original members) mapped out a comprehensive timeline of the organization — tracing GBM from a tiny, fragile idea to a robust movement. They recalled the legal hurdles and regulatory hoops, the countless parcels of land scouted (including one memorable afternoon pretending to be cousins riding around on a golf cart), the building of our website, and the endless hours spent educating the community. Seeing the sheer volume of labor visualized on the wall finally gave this history the recognition and celebration it so deeply deserved. Hearing those stories filled me with admiration for everyone who contributed to this cause, and especially for the women who are still showing up after all these challenges.
Mapping the creation of and transitions from a subcommittee of the Funerals Consumer Alliance to two different not-for-profits (a C3 and a C13 Cemetery) allowed everyone at the retreat to fully acknowledge many of the successes and the lessons along the way.
After the timeline activity, we spent time visioning — listening to one another's dreams and concerns for the future of GBM. It became clear that we share a unified vision: to never give up on finding land for our green burial cemetery. Our hope is that one day this cemetery will protect the earth, foster community, and deeply connect people to the land.
While the search for land continues, our immediate focus will be on bringing people together and deepening our connection with volunteers. We are fortunate to have so many talented, passionate, and eager folks reaching out to support GBM, and we want to make sure their voices, questions, and ideas are heard. To kick this off, we've decided to open our monthly board meetings to volunteers, giving them a peek into our behind-the-scenes operations. We hope this transparency fosters stronger connections, inspires new board members, and builds fresh momentum for our land search.
All in all, the retreat was a success. We deepened our connections, clarified our dreams and vision, and created a concrete plan for the future of Green Burial Massachusetts. Throughout the day, I was constantly inspired by just how compassionate, vulnerable, and driven the members of GBM are — and impressed by how much we accomplished in such a short time. From the sun-soaked view of Mount Tom in the distance to the energy that filled the room at East Works, and the realization that people are much taller than we all originally thought — I couldn't imagine doing this retreat any other way.
A huge thank you to Lily Brown and Jen Sandler from Stoke Collective for facilitating, and to D.Pict Studios in Easthampton for the space. We couldn't have done it without you! I feel incredibly blessed to be part of this group of powerful, badass women, and I look forward to growing GBM and welcoming even more people into our community.
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Making the Retreat Successful
Stoke Collective
GBM enlisted the help of The Stoke Collective to facilitate a smooth and productive experience. For those of you who don't know, The Stoke Collective is an organizational support network dedicated to fostering a resilient, human-centered culture within social change movements. They prioritize the long-term sustainability of advocacy work by grounding in deep relationships, joy, mutual support, and personal growth. Two of Stoke's founders, Lily Brown and Jen Sandler, were thrilled to help guide us through the day. Our goals were simple: celebrate our successes, bond, re-vision our future, build next steps toward our goals — and set aside some time to enjoy getting to know one another on a deeper level.
D.Pict Studios
D.Pict Studios generously offered their space at East Works in Easthampton, MA. D.Pict are also expert facilitators who blend strategy, psychology, visual tools, and spatial design to help diverse groups think deeper, align faster, and work better together. Their studio was the perfect setting — clean, bright, filled with well-loved plants, cozy couches, a kitchen, and floor-to-ceiling whiteboards. Now, I know the floor-to-ceiling whiteboards sound like the feature that knocked it out of the park, but the real showstopper was the view of Mount Tom. The spring sun lighting up the mountain is a sight seared into my memory. Its grounded presence seemed to have an effect on us all — and felt, in its own way, like a metaphor for why we were there.
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Why Hold a Retreat
by Candace Currie
The impetus for the retreat was a passing of the torch. The folks who founded GBM, a 501(c)(3), and GBM Cemetery, a 501(c)(13), now ranging in age from 65 to 95, are ready to hand the reins to the next generation of vision holders. There is just as much passion, tenacity, and determination in that next generation of Coco, Harper, Eileen and Alex, along with the most important thing of all: a shared vision to keep both entities strong and invigorated with fresh eyes and ideas.
And there is Jo Oltman, GBM's President and Clerk of GBM Cemetery, who continues to bring steadfast belief in green burial and natural processes — along with a healthy dose of joie de vivre — to everything that is Green Burial Massachusetts. Thank you, Jo! The retiring founders remain readily available for consultation and to share institutional memory as needed. Our oldest member, Eva Moseley, still firmly believes that local green burial is the best and easiest option — people like to be buried near where they have lived, and the cemetery infrastructure is already in place.
Bitter Lessons and Heartbreak
Finding land for a new cemetery has proven extraordinarily difficult. Cemeteries cannot turn a profit; they must operate as private nonprofits, with all proceeds reinvested back into the cemetery. Along the way, we've weathered a seemingly endless series of disappointments and heartbreaks, while also becoming well-versed in soils, wetlands, buffer zones, and abutter objections.
There is good news to share, however, in the form of hybrid town cemeteries, Eva’s preferred option — existing municipal cemeteries that now allow green burial, either in a dedicated section or integrated alongside conventional burials.
One of GBM's greatest ongoing successes is the growing number of towns and local cemeteries that now offer green burial — over 60 cemeteries across 47 towns. When a resident in a town without green burial options requests a presentation, GBM often has a volunteer ready to speak. Still, bringing green burial to a town cemetery may take years. Lenox is a perfect example. After two (2) years of advocacy, Susan made her case to the Selectboard on June 3rd, 2026:
"When I retired, I began end-of-life planning and researched different options, including green burial. I learned that cremation uses a large amount of fossil fuel, contributing to climate change, and that embalming relies on toxic chemicals. As a long-time environmentalist, I want my last act — the disposition of my body after death — to be done in the most earth-friendly way possible. That is green burial."
Green burial in Lenox was approved that evening. Special thanks to Selectboard member Marybeth Mitts, who composed the general information and guidelines for green burial at Mountain View Cemetery, to the full Selectboard for their unanimous approval, and to Board of Health Chair Dianne Romeo and Superintendent of Public Works Bill Gop for their collaboration. Advocates like Susan, all across the state, are the reason green burial becomes a reality in community after community. Keep it up — for all the folks who want their last act to be an earth-friendly one. |
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| Joan Pillsbury, Candace Currie, Eva Moseley, Carol Coan and Judith Lorei after a green burial presentation at the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 1 Office in Boston, MA on May 5, 2016. Yes, 10 years ago! |
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Green Burial Massachusetts is an all-volunteer organization. Your donation allows us to pursue our mission of educating the public about green burial throughout Massachusetts through presentations, answering your calls and emails, and keeping the GBM website up-to-date.
Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your gift to Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc. is tax-deductible in the United States to the extent allowable by law.
Do you have the gift of time? We're seeking volunteers to give presentations, and call cemeteries for our crowd-sourced database. We'd love to hear from you. |
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Fulfilling Our Mission
As part of our mission to educate the public about green burial, we visit libraries, senior centers, green fairs and other venues providing talks, workshops, and webinars, both in-person and virtually.
Presentations
Our presentations cover what green burial is, how it works, where it can be done, and more.
Upcoming Events/Presentations
- June 25th, Southampton (MA) Cemetery Commission
- June 28th, Salem, MA, Living Green Expo
Over the past three months, we presented at:
Answering Your Calls & Emails
We've responded to 5 phone calls and several emails since our last newsletter. Remember, planning ahead for your own burial is the best gift you can give to others who will fulfill your green burial wishes.
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Does your Local Cemetery Allow Green Burial?
Green Burial Massachusetts cemetery database lists 68 cemeteries in 47 Massachusetts municipalities that allow green burial. Volunteers are key to adding new information to the list. Don't see your city or town on the list? Help us expand the number of listed cemeteries by reaching out to a cemetery commission or private cemetery board and collecting information. Even if the cemetery doesn't currently allow green burial, we hope to list what is offered by every town or municipality in Massachusetts. It helps us when answering phone calls from people making arrangements for a loved one who desires a green burial. We'd love your help!
Email info@GreenBurialMA.org for instructions or to let us know about a cemetery that allows green burial.
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