Campo de Estrellas is a conservation cemetery focused on rewilding nine acres of former cattle pasture in East Texas through the respectful interment of human, cremated, and pet remains. As a conservation cemetery, our respect for the dead is fully aligned with our respect for nature, wildlife, and the environment: we do not use concrete burial vaults in our plots, remains cannot be embalmed, and all caskets and shrouds must constructed from biodegradable and inert materials including wood, cardboard, or natural fibers. In a departure from contemporary American cemetery practices, grave decorations must be biodegradable or removed from the gravesite after the ceremony, and all flowers and plants uses to mark a grave must be native to Texas.
It’s a different approach, to be sure. But one we hope will catch on as Texans return to burial practices that are in harmony with tradition and the land.
