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 […]
Read MoreSteward’s Log: Sacred Space
One of my most difficult challenges working at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary over the years has been expanding my understanding of the space to include others’ ideas and visions for it. Even before the land was purchased, a significant part of that vision was to create a natural setting that would […]
Read MoreNatural Burial: Embracing Nature
When hearing the phrase “being in nature” or “natural setting”, each of us will likely manifest our own unique mental image of what that means to us. This image can change through the years, as we age or as our physical capacity for outdoor enjoyment/activities diminishes or increases. “Natural” is […]
Read MoreBurials Can Be Beautiful, Healing & Transformational
Beautiful. Transformational. Healing. A funeral can actually be all three of those things, when families and friends are invited to participate in the process. I love my job SO MUCH. I get to help promote and practice a way of burial that is kind to the earth. I get to […]
Read MoreHow To Dig A Grave By Hand
We’ve all seen it a dozen times in the movies… Someone digging a grave. Usually it’s done with one shovel and finished in an hour. Ha! Ha, I say! As if it were only that easy. When we dig graves at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, everything is done by hand, and […]
Read MorePicking Your Final Resting Place: “How will I know when I’ve found my spot?”
I’m often asked “How will I know when I’ve found my spot?” It takes a little bit of time, a quiet mind and an open heart and then, you will simply know. If you’ve made the decision about whether you want your body to be cremated or buried and communicated […]
Read MoreLetting Go, Moving On: Reflections on Winter & Loss
Moving into 2018, we have all felt the bitter cold of winter. This season of raw, vast reflection is not an easy time for me, working primarily outdoors. I’m certain it is a challenging time for many as the cost to heat homes and maintain vehicles often increases in Winter. […]
Read MoreSteward’s Log: Winter 2018
A surprising number of families have been out to the Sanctuary in the last month. On cold and blustery days, guests bring their relatives who are in town for the holiday or vacation. While many of them have certainly been uncomfortable riding around in the golf cart with a blanket […]
Read MoreLooking Back & The Road Ahead for 2018
3-½ years ago, the conversation began about a conservation burial ground in Mills River. Fast forward to today, and it is hard to believe how far we have come in such a short period of time. In December of 2015, we purchased the property. Most of 2016 was devoted to […]
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