Blog - Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

A Love Letter To The Sanctuary: Saying Goodbye

Posted on Apr 08 2023 by Cassie Barrett

Photo of Cassie holding a sickle with the text "A Love Letter to the Sanctuary"

Anyone who knows me well knows I love cemeteries. I have photos of me dating back to high school, wearing vampire fangs in a local cemetery for a photo shoot I did for a friend. I have SEVERAL selfies in various cemeteries all over the world. (I was definitely that […]

Cremated Remains: Options for Green Burial & Scattering

Posted on Mar 29 2023 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

burial of cremated remains grave with a stone with the text "Green Burial of Cremated Remains"

When considering disposition— what to do with one’s body after death— people generally fall into one of two camps: burial or cremation. Many factors go into the decision: cultural or familial tradition, cost, geographical location (lack or abundance of cemetery space), environmental impact, and personal preference. For those who opt […]

Blue Ridge Outdoors – Back to the Earth: Green Burials

Posted on Mar 03 2023 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Source: Blue Ridge OutdoorsWritten By: Will BahrPublished: March 2, 2023Featured: Green Burial, Conservation Burial, Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, Warren Wilson College, Environmental Impact of Conventional Burial As a student at Warren Wilson College in western North Carolina, Ben Gordon planted, tended, and harvested crops for the college cafeteria until he graduated […]

Viewpoints Radio – Green Burials

Posted on Feb 28 2023 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Source: Viewpoints RadioInterview By: Polly HansenPublished: February 26, 2023Featured: Green Burial, Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, Cassie Barrett “Have you thought about end-of-life planning? Would you like to be buried or cremated – or possibly have a green burial? While death may be a topic that’s shied away from, it’s something that […]

Sacred Loser: Reflections of a Steward/Gravedigger

Posted on Feb 07 2023 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Stylized photo of Ben digging a grave with the text "Sacred Loser" on top.

I’ve spent a lot of my life wondering/worrying whether I was a Loser. Becoming more acquainted with death has helped me realize for sure that I am, and to claim that identity as sacred.

HuffPost – I Spent A Year Researching The Best Option For Our Bodies After We Die. Here’s What I Found

Posted on Jun 03 2022 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Several people carrying a decorated cardboard coffin.

We were late. It was just a potluck, so our tardy arrival shouldn’t have mattered. But the dinner was in honor of a woman named Yvette, who used a wheelchair and was dying of cancer. Time felt precious. With my teenager in the passenger seat, I spun the car into the parking lot at Holding Space, a nonprofit that provides a home in Asheville, North Carolina, for those facing death without family or finances — so they could die in a community rather than alone.

Jasper – Ambassador of Goodwill and Sanctuary Greeter

Posted on May 31 2022 by Caroline Yongue

Jasper the dog with the text "Tribute to Jasper 8.22.08 - 3.22.22"

Before Jasper came into my life (2014), someone asked me, “Caroline, what do you do for fun these days, what makes you laugh?” It took a while for me to answer their question and I was surprised at my answer of, “Absolutely nothing.” I knew the solution was to find […]

Meet the Sanctuary’s Feathered Denizens

Posted on May 19 2022 by Michele Skeele

Older couple standing back to back holding binoculars with the text on top saying, "Spring Birding at the Sanctuary."

We are so fortunate to have a wide variety of amazing habitats at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary which support so many of our furry and feathered neighbors (we’re proud to be a designated Wildlife Sanctuary!!). So this year, we were excited to introduce our community to some of the birds who […]

The Washington Post – ‘Green burials’ can change our relationship with death — and help the Earth

Posted on Dec 17 2021 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Four children sitting at the graveside near deceased Paula Brown wrapped in a shroud.

Source: The Washington PostWritten By: Mallory McDuffPublished: December 17, 2021Featured: Preparing for End of Life, Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, Mallory McDuff, Green Burial When the first vehicle arrived, I raised my right arm with what I hoped was a blend of authority and empathy. I tried to look serious but not […]

Mountain XPress – Warren Wilson professor’s new book explores eco-conscious death

Posted on Dec 10 2021 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Mallory McDuff next to her book 'Our Last Best Act'

Source: Mountain XPressWritten By: Jessica WakemanPublished: December 10, 2021Featured: End-of-Life Preperation, Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, Mallory McDuff, Green Burial As a professor of environmental education at Warren Wilson College, Mallory McDuff is experienced in teaching the next generation about environmentalism. “Climate is front and center for them,” she says. With the […]