After a loved one passes, taking some time to celebrate their life, achievements and interests is an important part of the healing process as well as a way to honour them. If your deceased friend or relative loved nature, then there are many excellent ways to incorporate that into your plans.
Holding a 'green' funeral is a lovely way to say goodbye in a natural location, using eco-friendly products. To commemorate the life of your loved one, you could consider a memorial bench or tree or donate to one of their favourite nature charities. Read on for further ideas.
Hold a green funeral
A green funeral can be held in a woodland burial ground, field, meadow or garden. Research options in your area, and consider whether you'd like to lay your loved one to rest in a location that appears untouched or in an area that allows small grave markers. In natural burial grounds without grave markers, you may not be able to remember exactly where your friend or relative is buried, so consider how important this is to you.
There are plenty of green options when it comes to coffins. You could choose a biodegradable felt coffin, an eco-friendly cardboard coffin, or a wooden case with a natural design of trees or flowers.
Purchase a memorial close to nature
If your loved one had a favourite place to walk, sit or visit, then a memorial bench in this location is a lovely way to remember them, while providing something useful to the community. If you've chosen a burial ground without marked graves, then a bench can be a wonderful place to come and reflect. A memorial plaque on a tree is another good choice, perfect of those who enjoyed walking in the forest. This option is also more affordable. For waterside locations, a metal plaque affixed to a railing or board is a nice option and a way of keeping your loved one's spirit close to the water.
Donate to a conservation area
Making a donation to a local conservation charity is a way of using your inheritance to help support something your friend or relative loved in life. If they had a particular favourite charity that's not local, then you could also donate there — this might be an organisation that cares for a particular type of wild animal, helps protect nature in a foreign country, or makes nature more accessible to disadvantaged groups. Don't worry if you're not sure exactly what your loved one would have picked — this gesture is all about the intention.
Share21 November 2016
It's incredibly hard to plan a funeral for teenagers. They should have their whole life ahead of them, and even if they have had a terminal diagnosis, often their parents cannot believe that they could actually be gone. When my niece passed away, I worked with her friends to make sure that the funeral worked for them and gave them a chance to grieve as well. It was great to see how much impact my niece had made on the world in such a short time, with her friends and family coming together to pay tribute to the beautiful young woman she had been. This blog has tips for other people planning funerals for teens.