Supporting biodiversity during end-of-life
Supporting conservation is a key factor in the lives of many Canadians. And for some Canadians, this dedication to nature continues even after their lives are over.
Located off the east coast of Vancouver Island, Salt Spring Island is the largest and most highly populated Southern Gulf Island in the Strait of Georgia, the water body that separates Vancouver Island from the mainland. The island is also home to the Salt Spring Island Natural Cemetery, Canada’s first entirely green burial cemetery that offers services to the public.
The cemetery owners are island farmers whose land has split zoning – 70 acres are agricultural, and another 14 acres are zoned rural. When the owners noticed that many surrounding properties with rural zoning were being subdivided for development, they wanted to find a way to keep their land in a more natural state both now and into the future. The green burial cemetery was established in part to help conserve this part of their property and create additional income for their family farm, while providing a more natural interment option for those seeking a final resting place outside of a conventional cemetery.
Unlike most cemeteries seen across Canada that have manicured lawns, decorative flowers and little wild nature, the Salt Spring Island Natural Cemetery’s mission is to return the property’s forest to one with giant Douglas firs. Using caskets and burial shrouds made from natural materials, and avoiding the use of chemical embalming, natural burial is the most ecologically friendly end-of-life option. Graves are marked with natural stones from the property and the area is allowed to re-wild with native plants after a burial to help sustain the ecosystem.
By doing things differently, the cemetery helps to protect and grow the trees within the area’s Coastal Douglas fir ecosystem. Their efforts also contribute to sustaining an old growth forest and helps conserve the area’s biodiversity. The Salt Spring Island Natural Cemetery highlights the role private landowners can play in protecting nature as part of the global effort to counter biodiversity loss and climate change.
Download the PDF information sheet.
