June & July 2025
- Bailey McLaughlin
- Jul 28
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 5
New FAQ Section on our Website
We have added a FAQ section to the “How” tab on our website that lists and answers some of the questions we have been often asked about natural burial in general and how things work at Vermont Forest Cemetery.
Cottage for Connection Fundraiser
During the month of May we ran a month-long fundraiser to purchase a Cottage to be located at the parking area that will create a space for remembrance and reflection and shelter for guests during inclement weather. Just as last year’s campaign to extend cemetery lane into the heart of the cemetery transformed the operations of the cemetery, the addition of the cottage along with the addition of a second privy will greatly improve the comfort of visitors on tours and provide a protected space for families and friends to gather prior to burials. So far we have raised a little over half of our goal through the very generous contributions of our followers. We have decided to extend the campaign to raise the remaining funds to reach our goal. For those of you who have not yet given, any donation would be appreciated. Indeed if everyone on the mailing list were to give only $10 we would reach our goal.
Research and Education Efforts at VFC
Those of you who have been watching the events section of our website will have noticed a new addition to our activities that are planned for this year called Citizen Science Days, a brainchild of our fabulous cemeterian Bailey McLaughlin. These days are meant to allow guests to participate in some of the projects and research we are interested in including identifying and creating habitat for flying squirrels, participating in the annual state-wide butterfly survey, identifying and removing invasive plant species in the cemetery, planning future plantings to help restore and encourage the development of a mature succession to meet future climate challenges. These projects will be developed working with our partners including the White River Natural Resource Conservation District and Vermont Coverts Woodlands for Wildlife.
Another exciting addition from Bailey (also a former educator) and our uber volunteer Clarissa Gold (a biology teacher at South Burlington High School) is Dirt Camp, a day camp for students ages 9 - 14. The camp took place July 14,16, and 18 and gave campers an opportunity to learn about the foundational principles of scientific drawing and note taking, qualitative and quantitative observation recording, and integrative thinking as it relates to the ecology of our forest. We were even featured on WCAX!
Vermont Forest Cemetery has officially become an eBird Hotspot listed by Cornell University’s eBird program thanks to Ken Ostermiller who attended Bailey’s Cemeterian Tour on Saturday July 19th. VFC is also now included on Ken’s Birding Hotspots website. This listing gives visitors to the cemetery a chance to create a running log of birds observed while at the cemetery. We are looking for a volunteer who is a bird watcher with experience leading bird walks who is willing to lead one or a series of bird watching days to grow our list. Do you have an idea for an activity that could take place at the cemetery? We’d love to hear it! Send an email to Jim Hogle, info@cemetery.eco !
The Labyrinth
Our sexton, Paul Acciavatti, along with Board member Andrea Stander and a team of volunteers, has built a labyrinth in the Sheepfold, at the center of the Eileen’s Ring trail off the parking area.
A labyrinth is a sacred space used for walking meditation. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth is a single path from the outer edge to the center and back again: no dead ends and no wrong turns. There is a small platform that the walker first encounters as they enter from the east, which is meant to hold an object of contemplation or memory that is brought to the site or found in the forest by the walker. As the labyrinth is walked, this platform is approached from the south, the west and finally the north, allowing the walker to return to their object repeatedly and to view it from multiple perspectives.
The labyrinth is complete, but—because it was built in the middle of the forest—there are still some small bumps and dips in the path. We welcome visitors to help build the labyrinth by walking it smooth! Like the Cemetery itself, the Roxbury Labyrinth is open from dawn to dusk.
Tours
Summer is a great time to visit the cemetery. We have scheduled 2-3 tours a month throughout the summer (click here to see our next tour). The tours are led by our founder and head cemeterian Michelle Hogle Acciavatti, our cemeterian Bailey McLaughlin, and one of our docents Jennifer Whitman. This is a great way to become familiar with the cemetery and its stories and to learn about natural burial. You are also free to visit the cemetery on your own at any time. We are open from dawn to dusk every day, and maps are available on the wall of the office at the parking area at the entrance to the cemetery.
Documentary Showings
We continue our showings of the award-winning documentary From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America at venues throughout the state. You can find currently scheduled showings on the events section of our website. If you would like to schedule a showing in your town or area, please contact Jim Hogle at info@cemetery.eco.
We are grateful for the continued support from our network of volunteers:
As our busiest season continues, we will be calling for help from volunteers to help build, improve and maintain the network of trails in the cemetery, to help with other infrastructure related projects, and from time to time to help with burials. If you want to be a part of this growing and wholehearted community, please sign up as a volunteer!
You can also help us spread the word about the Vermont Forest Cemetery by suggesting articles for your local newspapers, or TV stations, or by talking to your friends. These stories and recommendations from our network of supporters are the best way to make people aware of what we do and get them involved with our efforts.
Keep your eyes open to learn more about our two big Fall announcements!
Those of us who work at the 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!
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