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The Tree of Life

Years ago, I lived in an English dorm that was not only modeled after a Swedish prison, but also built on top of a former graveyard. In truth, the prison part is what kinda got to me (you try sleeping on a wafer-thin sheet of foam glued to a sturdy board for a year). The graveyard bit, well...I won't say I didn't have the occasional vision of Jacob Marley floating through my wall, but If you take a look at some of the oldest graveyards in the world, you realize that ultimately, most gravestones wear away, break up, get covered over by vines and roots...and prison-like dormitories. In the end, you can't preserve death, only the memory of life, and that can happen whether you plant someone in the ground like a tree or in a marble tomb.

-Jenifer Morgan...off to bury a hatchet...

Posted by: tmeronek on 09/13/2007
related tip
Over your dead body they will, if you go with eco-burial. Toxic chems and non-eco coffins might be typical graveyard fare, but for Biters who wanna rest easier, eco-burial's the natural way to go.
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George Frankel  on September 13, 2007 at 06:19 AM 1
Thank you for including Eternal Reefs as one of your eco-burial options. One part of what we do is to involve the families with the actual creation of the memorial reef. This both helps with the family in the closure process and it also gives the family "ownership" of the memorial reef. One of our goals is to firmly implant the environmental contirbution and awareness this type of memorial creates. These memorials are true living environmental contributions that will benefit future generations.
Wayne  on September 13, 2007 at 07:51 AM 2
In my opinion, the only eco-friendly option these days is cremation. The creation and upkeep of large cemetaries is very taxing on our resources especially in water poor areas like the American Southwest, Australia and Africa. Eternal Reefs looks like an interesting concept. I'll have to investigate this further.
Sara  on September 13, 2007 at 08:21 AM 3
Since I have an unexplainable fear of worms, I plan to be cremated. Unfortunately the same fear keeps me from vermicomposting. I used to have a small outdoor space which I could compost in. Now my new apartment doesn't provide that same luxury. Is there any other way to dispose of my plant/kitchen waste other than the landfill?
Ginny  on September 13, 2007 at 10:31 AM 4
I'm surprised you didn't mention the ultimate in recycling... Organ Donation.
Leslie  on September 13, 2007 at 11:39 AM 5
Eco-burials what a fascinating subject. I really enjoyed the links; love the coral burial idea. Talk about closing the loop between birth and death. Thanks Biters for shedding light on such a forgotten topic but one that is so very important. We must embrace other options for our guaranteed death. Traditional cemetery’s pollute our environment (fertilizers) use our natural resources (water consumption) and take up space!! I am not saying we don’t need to bury or dead or have a ceremony, those are very important components to our culture, just that there are other options out there that make more ecological sense.
Becky  on September 13, 2007 at 12:59 PM 6
If you're an ocean lover, SKIP THE CONCRETE and have your ashes tossed overboard. As a coastal manager by profession and ocean lover in spirit, I am shocked at the inclusion of Eternal Reefs in your recommendations for eco-friendly burials. Humans contribute enough junk to the ocean without the addition of concrete blocks for a romanticized notion of growing coral (or algae) on our remains. The verdict on artificial reefs is still out. Biters (and the author of this tip): think hard about the ethics of rigs (and ships, and bridges, and tires...) to reefs programs, support the protection of ocean and coastal ecosystems, and recommend responsible disposal of your remains - without further altering sensitive underwater habitats around the world.
Gloria  on September 13, 2007 at 02:43 PM 7
Regarding the new Biter bags-Made of durable non-woven polypropylene-isn't that a type of plastic?? No thanks, I'll stick to my cloth bags that did not cost $10.50 & contribute to the use of plastic(oil).
Colleen Sheehy  on September 13, 2007 at 10:14 PM 8
More Info please - how do we apply all of this to burial in a mausoleum? Chose this option for more economical land use, going up instead of out, and staying out of the water table. Our "condo" is well -ventilated, but NJ is hardly dry enough to produce mummies!
Vern  on September 14, 2007 at 12:14 AM 9
Speaking of the tree of life. I wish I could be put in the ground without a casket - I didn't realize there are biodegradable ones, but I think it would be awesome to be in the circle of life like we're supposed to be. Have a tre planted on top of me and feed it with the bacteria eating away at my body and poop from the worms. Why are people so into preserving a corpse. Right on, Jenifer. Is this the Jenifer Morgan I know from SA, TX?
ste  on September 14, 2007 at 08:48 AM 10
I was also concerned about the artificial reefs. Concrete is almost certainly better than the tire reefs which have been found to be disappointing and even damaging... but thanks to Becky for advocating conservation of reefs instead of adding fake ones. Quick question on scattering of ashes - is this something you should be careful if the person had a lot of chemotherapy before dying? Often the chemo cocktails have some toxic heavy metals, and I don't know if these are eliminated during cremation (they are heavy metals after all) or if they could be a minor pollution concern. I started wondering about this after a close family member passed away - I'm a little concerned about scattering his ashes just anywhere.
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