DEPARTING TO “GREENER” PASTURES: Going green when you die

Cemeteries look for environmentally friendly ways to bury loved ones

BY KATHY KAHN

It’s not just the living who are looking to be ecology-conscious. Rockland cemeteries are also looking at ways to help bury your loved ones that is respectable and earth-friendly.

The Rockland Community Foundation established a Green Cemetery Fund, and its goal is to create a sustainable alternative to conventional cemeteries, offering ecologically sound burial options and a natural return to earth. Each burial supports restoration and preservation of pristine, underdeveloped open space.

Fittingly, fund owner Kerry Potter elected to establish the Green Cemetery Fund on Earth Day, April 22. “This fund is intended to establish a Natural Cemetery Preserve under the guidelines of the Green Burial Council,” Kerry said. “Green burial advocates caring for the dead in a way that is respectful, while it minimizes environmental impact, preserves natural resources, protects worker health and preserves our habitat.”

The Green Cemetery Fund joins with other funds in the Foundation’s diverse portfolio working to make a difference in the lives—and ultimately, the passing–of people throughout Rockland County.

To learn more about the Foundation and its programs, visit www.rocklandgives.org. To learn more about burial alternatives, visit www.naturalburial.org

  ecologically friendly burial, Green Cemetery Fund, natural burial alternatives, Natural Cemetery Preserve, Rockland Community Foundation