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.
Read MoreSacred Loser: Reflections of a Steward/Gravedigger
Jasper – Ambassador of Goodwill and Sanctuary Greeter
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 […]
Read MoreMeet the Sanctuary’s Feathered Denizens
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 […]
Read MoreBiodegradable Burial Containers for Green Burial: Strange & Unusual
Biodegradable Burial Containers for Green Burial: Part 3 – Strange & Unusual This is the last blog in our series, ‘Biodegradable Burial Containers for Green Burial.’ Part 1 covered the what & why behind green burial containers and reviewed the first and most simple option, burial shrouds. Part 2 explored […]
Read MoreBiodegradable Burial Containers for Green Burial: Coffins & Caskets
Biodegradable Burial Containers for Green Burial: Part 2 – Coffins & Caskets This is the second blog in our series about Biodegradable Burial Containers, where we explore biodegradable options for green burial. In the first blog we discussed, what is a biodegradable burial container, why choose a biodegradable burial container, […]
Read MoreBiodegradable Burial Containers for Green Burial: The What & Why + Shrouds
Biodegradable Burial Containers for Green Burial: Part 1 – The What & Why + Shrouds What do you want to happen to your body after you die? I’ve often fantasized about a Viking Funeral, imagining my body drifting away in a wooden boat as flaming arrows shower down and it […]
Read MoreDeath Happenings in Asheville – 2019
As a death activist, someone who is committed to helping our culture heal its relationship to death, I feel so lucky to live in Asheville. We are a small city with just over 90,000 people and yet we have a thriving community that embraces the topic of death and offers […]
Read MoreConservation Burial Ground: A Home For The Animals
As the word “sanctuary” in Carolina Memorial Sanctuary implies, it is a nature reserve, a safe and natural space for people, and also for all the wildlife that is attracted to live there. Safe for the animals is not so much about individual beings, but more about the balance of […]
Read MoreConservation Burial Alliance: Death + Conservation + Passion
It’s a lofty goal: Conserve 1,000,000 acres of land through conservation burial. This was (and still is ) the vision of Billy and Kimberly Campbell – the founders of the conservation burial movement and the owners of the very first conservation burial ground, Ramsey Creek Preserve, which opened in 1996, […]
Read MorePreparing for Death: Why It Matters
Some people think that if they prepare for death, death will come knocking. With 20 plus years of experience now, walking amidst death, I’ve witnessed the results of preparing for death and the consequences of what happens when death is allowed to come as a surprise. Each of us […]
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