Green Burial: From Concept to Reality

In our second Introductory Cemetery Webinar Series titled Green Burial: From Concept to Reality, Erik takes us through another fast paced webinar.

In this focused webinar, you will learn:

  • The foundations of green burial: from concept to reality;
  • Why more individuals and cemetery operators are opting for green burial, and
  • How to incorporate a green burial section into a new or existing cemetery.

Check out our YouTube channel for more videos in our cemetery webinar series.

Green Burial Interview with Erik Lees [Audio]

Green Burial Interview with Erik Lees

Earlier this week, Erik Lees joined radio host J’lyn Nye on Edmonton’s 630 CHED to discuss green burial, the growing focus on natural burial practices and more.

Erik, who is a board member of the Green Burial Society of Canada, explained the basic guidelines for green burial and emerging burial trends

Listen to the clip below for the entire discussion.

Green Burial in Canada [Video]

In the short piece below, the CBC’s On the Money program explores the rise in eco-friendly burials in Canada and how green burial could be part of the solution to the need for burial space across the country.

Erik and Reinaldo from the LEES+Associates team were at the annual meeting of the Green Burial Society of Canada, they both make a brief cameo in the clip.

Clip courtesy of the CBC’s On the Money
For more information on green burials check out the Green Burial Society of Canada

Discussions: What is Green Burial? [Audio]

What is Green Burial:

Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery
Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery

Known under many names, including “natural burial,” “eco-burial,” “woodland burial,” and “country burial,” green burial is rooted in minimising the impact of human burial on the environment. While the level of “greenness” varies, in practice, a green burial is considered to have at least two of the following pillars:

  • Does not include embalming;
  • A simple casket or shroud;
  • Does not include use of concrete grave liners;
  • Simple memorialization, and
  • Some aspect of habitat or ecosystems enhancement.

In the clip below, Erik Lees hosts an insightful discussion on Green Burial with two prominent leaders in the green burial movement in BC.

For more information on green burial, visit the Green Burial Society of Canada’s website.

Links to other resources:
Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, BC
Royal Oak Burial Park, Victoria, BC
Audio courtesy of Co-op Radio show: Make A Better World

Woodlands Green Burial
Woodlands for Green Burial at Royal Oak Burial Park

Green Burial and Sustainability

Green Burial and Sustainability

The December edition of Ground, the periodical published by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA), included an article exploring green burial and the concept of sustainability within the bereavement sector.

“Green Burial and Sustainability” by Katie Strang, includes perspectives on this topic from Catriona Hearn, one of the Senior Associates in our Vancouver office. Catriona led the design of the Woodlands at Royal Oak Burial Park, the first active green burial area in Canada in an existing cemetery, and is Vice President of the Green Burial Society of Canada.

According to Hearn, “The burial industry has become more sustainable —environmentally, socially, and, on some levels, economically. It’s incremental, and largely based on people understanding the value of land in a broader sense, especially as space becomes more precious, notably in urban areas. This has led people to see cemeteries as park space.” Read full article

Green Burial and Sustainability