June 2026
- Bailey McLaughlin
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
It's leaf-out time at the cemetery!
It's already hard to remember what the forest looked like in ‘stick season,’ now that the cemetery is bathed in the bright, vibrant green of new foliage. Every leaf that you see in this picture has been nourished and sustained by those who have chosen to give their bodies back to the earth. They shelter us from the wind and the rain and provide soft shade in the heat of high summer. If you haven't yet visited during this transitional season, we encourage you to bring your bug spray and stop by! We are open every day from dawn to dusk.
Dive into this month’s newsletter to learn about:
An update on our Annual Fundraiser
A paid opportunity to join our team
Cemetery Tours
First Bird Walk at the Cemetery with Evergreen Erb
Screening of From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America in Arlington
July Cemetery Stewardship Day
We are thrilled to announce that the Cottage for Connection has been fully funded!!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are humbled by the outpouring of generosity from our community. Over the past two years we have raised just over $32,000 which has allowed us to cover the cost of preparing the site and purchasing a complete, all-season, trimmed and finished building from Jamaica Cottage Shop for ceremonies and gatherings! Because of your support, the dream of a welcoming place for visitors in the heart of the forest will soon be a reality. Whether you made a donation, reposted our fundraiser or shared with a neighbor - every action has been a gift! Thank you! The cottage is set to be delivered at the end of July and we look forward to hosting you for many events to come inside it!
Many donations we received were in in honor of family and loved ones and we would like to take a moment to acknowledge them.
If you’ve always wanted a job that makes a real difference in people’s lives and supports our natural communities while letting your office-management and event-planning skills shine, this is the role for you! Thank you to all who placed an application for our administrative assistant position. Applications will be accepted through June 19th and interviews will begin the week of June 22nd.
If you or someone you know would be interested in this role please send a cover letter and resume to Jim Hogle at info@cemetery.eco.
Summer events are in full swing here at the cemetery!
On Sunday June 28th from 10am - 11:00am join natural burial advocate and cemetery docent Jen Whiton on an hour long tour through the cemetery grounds. Come hear cherished VFC stories about burials, learn about the history of Vermont Forest Cemetery and the re-legalization of natural burial in Vermont.
Our next Founders Tour will take place on July 5th from 2:00pm - 3:30pm. Come meet founder and head cemeterian Michelle Hogle Acciavatti for a two hour tour focusing on the stories of the forest and the vision of the cemetery all while answering your questions about VFC!
Our next Cemeterian’s Tour will take place on Saturday July 18th from 10am - 11:30am. Walk with cemeterian Bailey McLaughlin for a ninety minute tour through the grounds of the cemetery. You’ll learn about the ecology of the forest and our conservation goals, stories of those residing in the cemetery and have all of your natural burial questions answered.
On June 21st from 10am - 11am we will be hosting the first-ever Bird Walk with Evergreen Erb! Pack your binoculars and prepare your e-bird list as Evergreen leads you through the cemetery to identify our local avian community. From ovenbirds and owls to vireo and grouse there’s a bird out there to find for everyone!
Join us in Arlington at the Martha Canfield Memorial Library Free Library on Saturday June 13th from 1pm - 2:30pm for a screening of the award-winning documentary From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with president of the board and outreach coordinator Jim Hogle. Attending a screening is an excellent way to learn more about the process of natural burial and the legacy you leave behind when giving your body back to the earth.
Would you like to have a screening in your town? Email Jim Hogle at info@cemetery.eco with a recommended venue and we will do our best to host a screening near you. We are adding new screenings all the time and we encourage you to keep an eye on our website and social media to learn about the latest screenings.
We had a very successful Cemetery Stewardship day at the end of May! Our volunteers and staff helped lay down around ten cubic yards of pine chips to resurface our trails. Thank you so much to each volunteer who spent their day with us!
Our next Cemetery Stewardship Day will be Sunday July 12th from 10am - 2pm. We will be focusing on removing invasive plants and light refreshments will be provided.
Those of us who work at Vermont Forest Cemetery are committed to providing the best possible service to our community, and encourage you to contact us at any time with questions, concerns or ideas at info@cemetery.eco.
We value your continued support and are deeply indebted to those of you who have volunteered to help build trails, participate in burials, or just bear witness for those experiencing loss; for those who chose to make tax deductible donations, and to those who have chosen to support us through advanced purchases of burial rights. Thank you for your continued support!
We hope to see many of you at the cemetery. It is a beautiful place in all seasons, made all the more beautiful by the stories it holds.
Comments