Joining the Conservation Burial Alliance

Recently the Conservation Burial Alliance invited us to join its online network, a nationwide list that spotlights conservation burial grounds. Of course, we were thrilled to be included on their growing list of burial spaces and honored to be included alongside so many thriving conservation cemeteries across the United States.

The Conservation Burial Alliance is a nationwide organization focused on bringing together providers of conservation burial, land trusts, as well as interested individuals to share resources and create networks that foster our unique type of burial. The group began meeting in 2017 after Freddie Johnson, one of the founders of Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, realized that the movement was taking off, yet lacked a central node where providers and allies could come together to support each other. They held their first call in December of that year with participants from eight conservation burial grounds and have since grown to include at least 18 cemeteries across the United States. Along with holding regular monthly calls they also offer written guides to help out those who are interested in getting a conservation cemetery started, information for working with land trusts, and hold webinars and events occasionally throughout the year.

In a space that can often feel like one is working in isolation without much support from the traditional funeral industry, the CBA’s effort to build community and create a central repository is extremely helpful. Knowledge sharing is something that we’ve been particularly passionate about at Campo de Estrellas. In fact, our cemetery started by giving workshops for groups on the benefit of natural burial before we began meeting with families to plan for burials. We also spend a lot of time talking to landowners or potential landowners who want to establish this type of cemetery in Texas. When we first started exploring the idea of conservation burial there were only a handful of conservation cemeteries in existence that we could look to for insight and perspective, with none in Texas. Since then, we’ve seen the establishment of another nearby conservation cemetery that we can call on to swap trade tips and tricks. However, we hadn’t yet had a chance to widen our circle nationally. So it was exciting to have the opportunity to join this month’s CBA Zoom call to meet other members in the space, ask questions, and just generally talk shop.

The CBA call was lively and supportive, full of very passionate and hardworking people. It was promising to hear several participants share how busy they had become over the past few months, with one group stating that they often hold six or more burials a week. There were also several members who stated that they were participating in or hosting their own events on their land in collaboration with local organizations.

As promised, shop was talked! Topics included:

• the use and legitimacy of new green funeral products like biodegradable plastic soil amendments and shrouding boards
• (re)enforcement of cemetery rules when working with funeral homes unfamiliar with the tenets of natural burial
• how to handle severely decomposing cases in a way that is respectful to families and the earth
• hiring administrative help because business is blooming!

There was a sense of affirmation after the call ended. This growing alliance is already holding both families and land to the same high standard, and the CBA keeps that circle aligned. As demand for natural burial rises (and it is!), it’s reassuring to know a practiced, principled network is ready to meet it.