A wonderful idea! Love it. Am writing a book about starting an eco coffin company in the early 2000’s. Most people are buried or cremated in chipboard or MDF veneer which is made with glues & formaldehyde which we either burn and it goes into the air, or bury and it goes into the earth. I am happy to include this rewilding initiative in the book as one of the great new ways of how to do death differently.
I love this initiative. I have looked at woodland burials and my family know that’s what I want. My memorial is to be a bat box - for “the old bat”! But this might be even better.
Several cemeteries in East London are no longer used for burials and becoming wild again. East Ham Nature Reserve is the 9 acre graveyard of St Mary Magdalen church. It has a huge population of slow worms and a good population of common lizards. www.newhamgreengym.org
I am definitely interested in signing up for the waiting list. I would love to find a piece of land dedicated to burial and rewilding nearer my home too.
I love this idea and hope it can be extended to other parts of the U.K. It should be an affordable option for most of us so that our deaths continue to support future generations of humans and wildlife.
I really like this idea and have been pondering this area, after attending funerals over the last few years and often feeling that they are artificial and removed from nature. I have signed up even though I live in SW England, hoping that this idea will catch on here: Back to Nature site says to sign up anyway, to show how much interest there is.
I really like the idea but live too far away to sign up to a plot I can use. I wonder if I might acquire one to be used by a nature lover who would otherwise get a pauper's funeral?
This sounds like a wonderful idea. I just wonder though, say you died from Covid for example, would you have to be cremated to destroy the virus? I suppose you could still have your ashes burried on your plot or scattered. I think I would sign up if the scheme was extended to England.
Absolutely wonderful idea. I used to live in Southampton & parts of the old cemetery next to Southampton Common are left untended with limited public access in order to support wildlife. Think some of it is actually a designated SSI. Amazing & peaceful place to be despite being adjacent to the A33!
This is a wonderful idea. I love an untended graveyard- it feels very peaceful - but becoming a part of rewilding a plot is an amazing way to give back
Many churchyards are now designated local nature reserves. The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership in Bedfordshire has agreed with several parishes the ecological management of the older section of churchyards and is monitoring the ecology. The problem is striking a balance with what is seen as 'tidy' by relatives and what is best left to become wild/er
My family know that I want a woodland burial when I die but this idea is even more attractive. I have signed up for the waiting list in the hope the idea takes off and is extended to England.
A wonderful idea! Love it. Am writing a book about starting an eco coffin company in the early 2000’s. Most people are buried or cremated in chipboard or MDF veneer which is made with glues & formaldehyde which we either burn and it goes into the air, or bury and it goes into the earth. I am happy to include this rewilding initiative in the book as one of the great new ways of how to do death differently.
I love this initiative. I have looked at woodland burials and my family know that’s what I want. My memorial is to be a bat box - for “the old bat”! But this might be even better.
A rewilding burial sounds good. Something I must follow up. Thanks.
Several cemeteries in East London are no longer used for burials and becoming wild again. East Ham Nature Reserve is the 9 acre graveyard of St Mary Magdalen church. It has a huge population of slow worms and a good population of common lizards. www.newhamgreengym.org
I am definitely interested in signing up for the waiting list. I would love to find a piece of land dedicated to burial and rewilding nearer my home too.
Would be great to see this idea spread. My will is written to specify a natural burial but I've signed up to the waiting list for this.
I love this idea and hope it can be extended to other parts of the U.K. It should be an affordable option for most of us so that our deaths continue to support future generations of humans and wildlife.
I really like this idea and have been pondering this area, after attending funerals over the last few years and often feeling that they are artificial and removed from nature. I have signed up even though I live in SW England, hoping that this idea will catch on here: Back to Nature site says to sign up anyway, to show how much interest there is.
I really like the idea but live too far away to sign up to a plot I can use. I wonder if I might acquire one to be used by a nature lover who would otherwise get a pauper's funeral?
Fascinating article. I used to live in east London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is a marvel. See https://fothcp.org/nature-2/
This sounds like a wonderful idea. I just wonder though, say you died from Covid for example, would you have to be cremated to destroy the virus? I suppose you could still have your ashes burried on your plot or scattered. I think I would sign up if the scheme was extended to England.
This is a beautiful idea. I wonder how the economics will work out.
Absolutely wonderful idea. I used to live in Southampton & parts of the old cemetery next to Southampton Common are left untended with limited public access in order to support wildlife. Think some of it is actually a designated SSI. Amazing & peaceful place to be despite being adjacent to the A33!
This is a wonderful idea. I love an untended graveyard- it feels very peaceful - but becoming a part of rewilding a plot is an amazing way to give back
Many churchyards are now designated local nature reserves. The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership in Bedfordshire has agreed with several parishes the ecological management of the older section of churchyards and is monitoring the ecology. The problem is striking a balance with what is seen as 'tidy' by relatives and what is best left to become wild/er
Brian Kerr
My family know that I want a woodland burial when I die but this idea is even more attractive. I have signed up for the waiting list in the hope the idea takes off and is extended to England.