It is widely practiced in other cultures but is only regaining interest in America. Forest Rest Natural Cemetery is a member of the Evergreen Memorial Trust. It is the only natural burial location of its type within a hundred plus miles in every direction. Natural burial employs no chemical embalming, no vault, and no expensive casket. Internment options include a biodegradable linen shroud, wicker or plain wooden box or a favorite blanket. Burial can take a heavy toll on a family’s emotions and finances. These options minimize a burial “footprint” on the environment. And, for families, many of the major costs of “traditional” funerals/burials are eliminated. Another carbon-emission reducing step is the family’s option for the gravesite to be dug by hand. At Forest Rest, in order to sustain the natural setting, elaborate grave markers are shunned. If families wish to have a marker for site identification, these usually consist of simple memorial sentiments etched into stones natural to the grounds.
