Growing interest in green burials: a second dedicated cemetery for green burials will open in Maryland this year
On a brisk, sunny morning, Evelyn Bradley climbs the grassy hill at Serenity Ridge Natural Burial Cemetery to visit the grave of her mother, Anna Ballard. The plot is marked only by a small stone plaque leaning against the ground.
"She was a simple person and we all wanted things to be simple, so this was what was needed for our family," Bradley says.
According to Bradley, she discussed the idea of a green burial with her mother, and just before her death, in April 2023, Serenity Ridge Cemetery opened in Windsor Mill. It is the state's first dedicated cemetery for green burials.
"I came here and bought seven lots for the whole family," Bradley says.
Her mother's body was wrapped in a shroud or cloth. The children laid flowers on the shrouded area. Bradley said her mother was an avid gardener and she would have loved everything about the ceremony.
"It was just gorgeous, and when they finished covering it, we read her poem and said some parting words to her."
Green or natural burials have been around for thousands of years, says Jennifer Downs, president of the Maryland Green Burial Association. In the last decade, she says, interest in this type of memorial has grown as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional burial or cremation.
"It's all about preserving the land and bringing the body directly back to the ground," Downs says.
To be considered a "green" burial, the person cannot be embalmed, which is not required by state law. They must be buried in a biodegradable casket or shroud, and the plaque must lie flat, not upright like a traditional headstone.
Downs said Maryland has been slow to embrace the trend, and part of the association's mission is to educate people and funeral homes about the opportunity.
"We are reaching out to funeral homes to better understand what families can ask for, and we are seeing that some funeral homes are very happy to work with families."
Although there is currently only one dedicated cemetery for green burials in Maryland, several conventional cemeteries offer this option, which the association calls hybrid cemeteries.
The cost of a green burial depends on the family's choice of cemetery, casket or shroud. The association said on its website that a green burial is likely to be more expensive than cremation, but cheaper than a regular burial.
The Sharon Bailey family created their own "green" cemetery for burials on their farm in northern Baltimore County. Their daughter, Julienne Guede Edwards, is buried in this plot. She died of colon cancer at the age of 30.
"It was very heartwarming, a wonderful way for her family and those close to her to honor her wishes and continue to care for her even after her death," Bailey said.
"Nature is a big part of our spiritual life, so we've always been in favor of 'green' burials."
According to the Green Burial Council, 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid, 1.6 million tons of concrete, 20 million board feet of hardwood lumber and 64,500 tons of steel were used for conventional burials in the U.S. between 2014 and 2019.
Downs said people often think cremation is a greener option than casket burial, but the process creates a lot of carbon dioxide emissions to maintain the high temperatures required for cremation, resulting in 1.74 billion CO2 emissions per year in the United States.
Evelyn Bradley says her mom would not have wanted to be buried in a regular casket or be embalmed, and she is grateful to have had the choice of a "green" cemetery for burial.
"It was very meaningful, very personal and very in our way," she said. "It's good for the Earth, it's good for people who care about the Earth."
A second dedicated green burial cemetery called Reflection Park will open in Silver Spring later this year.