Memorial Ecosystems
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Resources

Recent Articles
2020
Brooklyn Neighbors Come Together to Bury a Stranger
 by Julie Walker, AP News, May 1, 2020
More catholics choose green burials, hoping for a lighter footprint by Valerie Zehl, US Catholic Magazine, April 21, 2020
The ‘green death’ movement: Scientific advances give more eco-friendly funeral options by Emily Gillespie, Fortune Magazine, April 9, 2020
Green Burial: We’re All In the Same Cycle of Life by Nancy DeVault, Natural Awakenings, April 4, 2020
It takes Less Than 30 Days to Compost a Human Body by Jef Akst, The Scientist, February 17, 2020
"Mushroom Burial Suit" Called Into Question by Diane Ionescu, Connecting Directors, February 10, 2020
The Emotional Wallop of My Friend’s Green Burial by Janet Siroto, NextAvenue, January 30, 2020
Books We Recommend
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Changing Landscapes: Exploring the growth of ethical, compassionate, and environmentally sustainable green funeral service
by Lee Webster with contributions from green burial thought leaders, including Dr. Billy Campbell
CreateSpace/Amazon Books
A collection of  thought leaders seeking ways to honor our commitment to ethical and compassionate funeral practices that nourish the relationships between families and providers, the profession and the public, humans and the Earth

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Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death
by Josh Slocum & Lisa Carlson
Upper Access Press
Hinesburg, VT
upperaccessbooks@gmail.com
802-482-2988
A guide to the legal rights of families to care for their own dead in the US

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Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial
by Mark Harris
Scribner; Simon and Schuster
Grave Matters follows families who found in "green" burial a more natural, more economic, and ultimately more meaningful alternative to the tired and toxic send-off on offer at the local funeral parlor

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In the Checklist of Life: A Book to Help You Live and Leave This Life!
by Lynn McPhelimy
AAIP Publishing Company
PO Box 102
Rockfall, CT 06481
"Everyone knows that we all should have our affairs in order. But, how do you start? In this working book...Leave an organized personalized plan, a true gift of love."

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Last Wishes
by Lucinda Page Knox, MSW & Michael D. Knox, PhD
Ulysses Press 
PO Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
A handbook to guide your survivors.
A place for final instructions, funeral details and special messages

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Re-imagining Death: Stories and Practical Wisdom for Home Funerals and Green Burials
by Lucinda 
Herring
North Atlantic Books

2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-549-4270
Offers stories and guidance for home funeral vigils, and more

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Greening Death: Reclaiming Burial Practices and Restoring Our Tie to the Earth
by Suzanne Kelly
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
200 Park Ave. South, Suite 1109 
New York NY 10003 
212-529-3888
Traces the philosophical and historical backstory of the home funeral and green burial movements to help try to explain why people are clamoring for more sustainable death practices and a new model for achieving them

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What to Do When A Loved One Dies
by Eva Shaw
Dickens Press
PO Box 4-289
Irvine, CA 92716
800-230-8158
A Practical and Compassionate Guide to Dealing with Death on Life's Terms. Good Reference. Not a workbook

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Businesses and Organizations
Carolina Wild 
strives to be the premier source for nursery propagated native plants in the upstate region of South Carolina. They are a family-operated business with greenhouse and nursery working with native plant materials.

Conservation Burial Alliance is a a dedicated group of owners, operators, advocates, and partners working together to support the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of conservation land that incorporates natural burial cemeteries.

Final Passages This is an organization dedicated to bringing back the home funeral—not unlike the hospice movement in the 1970's that brought dying back home.

Funeral Consumers Alliance Lots of great information for those considering planning their funerals. Better information on financial issues than on green issues, but worth the surf over.

Glendale Natural Preserve This is another sister preserve in the Florida Panhandle. A beautiful site with long leaf pine and wetlands.

Global Ideas Bank The idea for Memorial Ecosystems date to before the late Nicholas Aubrey created the Natural Death Care Centre. The group initially was less green than focused on simplicity and home funerals.

Green Burial Council was founded by Joe Sehee and works to promulgate standards for conservation burial that are based largely on the Campbell Principles and have been updated to reflect the changes in practices that are required as the field matures. The Council is doing work absolutely essential for ensuring that natural burial becomes a potent land protecting tool and is the main force in educating the public about eco-friendly burial options.

Green Casket Company You do not need to spend a lot of money to meaningfully honor the life of a loved one. At the Green Casket Company, they offer a simple and natural casket and work with other local businesses who support green burial and end of life choices.

​Jewish-Funerals.org This page promotes traditional Jewish Funerals. It is interesting that traditional, community-run (and very green) funerals never went out of style. 

Land Trust Alliance is the voice of the land trust community. As the national leader in policy, standards, education and training, they work passionately to support land trusts so they can save and secure more lands now and for future generations.

National Home Funeral Alliance is a national nonprofit that is committed to supporting home funeral education and empowering families to care for their own dead. They offer instructional books and papers to assist you in making home funeral plans that are legal, affordable, and meaningful for all.

Natural Areas Association is dedicated to empowering its members who collectively advance the preservation natural diversity and raise awareness of conservation research, advocacy and stewardship.

Shine on Brightly Decorative cremation urns and memorial objects.

Society for Ecological Restoration is a global community of restoration professionals that includes researchers, practitioners, decision-makers, and community leaders from Africa, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, and the Americas. SER members are actively engaged in the ecologically sensitive repair and recovery of degraded ecosystems utilizing a broad array of experiences, knowledge sets, and cultural perspectives.

South Carolina Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization committed to the preservation and protection of native plant communities in South Carolina.

Upstate Forever promotes sensible growth and the protection of special places in the Upstate region of South Carolina.  The membership-based, nonprofit organization covers nine counties (Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Union). They have three main programs: Land Trust, Sustainable Communities, and Clean Air and Water.

“All that live must die
Passing through nature to eternity.” 
                                         —Hamlet 1.2

Conservation Burial

Mission
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Definition
Best Practices
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Burials

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Trail Map
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​Contact Us

Resources and FAQs

Books
Organizations
​FAQs
​
Billy's Blog
Planning Guide

memorial ecosystems, inc.
Ramsey Creek Preserve

111 West Main Street (office)
390 Cobb Bridge Road (burial ground)
Westminster, SC 29693
(864) 647-7798 (office)
(864) 324-2647 (cell)
kimberley@memorialecosystems.com
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© Copyright 2020
Website design by Lee Webster
​Side Effects Publishing
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • History & Bios
  • Conservation Burial
    • Defining Conservation Burial
    • Conservation Burial Gallery
    • Best Practices
    • FAQs
    • Resources
    • Billy's Blog
  • Ramsey Creek Preserve
    • Land, Trails, & Wildlife >
      • Land & Wildlife Gallery
    • Botanical Inventory >
      • Flower Gallery
    • Cross Roads Chapel >
      • Cross Roads Chapel Gallery
    • Memorials and Markers >
      • Memorial Marker Gallery
    • Burial Planning Guide
    • Pricing
  • Consulting Services
    • What We Offer
  • Contact
    • Directions
    • Trail Map
    • Hours and Rules