A Tree Instead of a Tombstone
Most of us picture two choices when we think about what happens to our body after we die: burial in a cemetery plot, or cremation with an urn on a shelf. Neither is wrong. But neither is the whole story, and if you love the outdoors, enjoy the sound of birds chirping while you sit on your porch, or if you feel most like yourself with dirt under your nails, there's a good chance neither one actually reflects who you are.
This week while researching natural burial options for a client I ran across an organization called Better Place Forests. Their approach is nature-based memorialization. You choose a living tree in a protected forest, your ashes are placed at its roots, and that tree becomes your marker instead of a headstone. The forest itself is preserved land, meaning your choice also protects a piece of wild ground for generations to come. They have several forests across the U.S. and their Forest Stories show pictures of vibrant, sacred groves of trees and peace on the faces of the loved ones who visit.
They've built playful, human ways into a topic most of us avoid. Their Soul Tree quiz delighted me! I answered a few questions and got Red Oak as my soul tree. The description says:
You're a giver by nature with a zest for life. Red Oaks produce abundant acorns enjoyed by local wildlife, especially squirrels. They love to have a moment in the sun and during fall are known for their exuberant red foliage.
How did they know that I feed my backyard squirrels everyday?!
Better Place Forests is one option among a growing number of nature-based choices. Green burial uses no embalming fluids, no concrete vaults, and a biodegradable shroud or casket, allowing the body to return to the soil naturally. Human composting, legal now in a handful of states, transforms the body into nutrient-rich soil over several weeks. Water cremation, also called aquamation, uses water and gentle alkaline flow instead of flame. Memorial reefs take cremated remains and mix them into an artificial reef structure that becomes part of a living ocean ecosystem. Each one answers the same longing in a different way, the desire to become part of something living rather than something sealed away.
I think about my own work and how often nature-based options like this get overlooked, not because people don't want them but because they don't know they exist. A tree instead of a tombstone. A forest instead of a plot. There is a whole world of ways to return to the earth that feels less like an ending and more like a continuation.
If you've ever imagined your ashes scattered somewhere wild, under a canopy, near water, in soil that will grow something new, you're not alone, and you're not without options. Nature-based disposition is one more way to make your one-day, some-day wishes reflect who you actually are.
What's your soul tree? I'd love to know.