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March 2026

Three weeks ago, we were asked to be of service in the most heartbreaking of circumstances: a young family had lost their baby girl on the day of her birth. All they could think to do in the wake of such a tragedy was offer her body to the Earth, to find a beautiful and natural place for her body to rest. Although they lived in Connecticut, they found Vermont Forest Cemetery. Would we bury Ava Sparkle? Of course, we said, we would be there for them. We often say to mourners that we can’t make their grief any better, but we can do our best to offer them a peaceful goodbye. The forecast offered us one day between major snowstorms, so we set the burial for that date.


Behind the scenes, we got to work.


Any burial requires our team to work together to make sure the day goes smoothly, and for this one that was even more true. Docent Jen Whitman reached out to her community to see if anyone would be willing to donate a sheepskin for the grave (thank you Mari of Green Mountain Girls Farm for the fleece and Jan Stuart of Green Mountain Burial Shrouds for the wool blankets) and got well wishes, ribbons, flowers and a beautiful cotton blanket as well.


Our founder, Michelle, worked with the funeral director in Connecticut to make sure Ava was prepared properly and to meet the transport team (who didn’t have four-wheel drive) at the bottom of the hill to bring Ava’s body to the cemetery. Our sexton, Paul, followed a fox trail from the lower parking area to a beautiful copse of maple with an opening just large enough for Ava’s grave and for her family to gather around.


On the day of the burial, Jen and Michelle worked together to nestle Ava’s body in a willow basket tucked into balsam boughs, wool blankets, and surrounded by tiny bouquets of white and pink flowers and a little stuffed Little Nutbrown Hare sent by her family. While they worked, Steve Amell came out early to plow the lane and parking areas. Carl Anderson and Suzanne DeJohn cleared the snow from the trails and the graveside. And Charlie Poltenson and Melaney Pettini served as chauffeurs bringing the family safely up the hill.


When Ava’s parents, Angelina and Alan, big sister Amelia, aunty Sissy, grandparents and family arrived we made sure they got pictures and space. Ava’s mom gave her a kiss goodbye before carrying her basket to the grave and nestling it on the pink sheepskin. When they were ready they came back and we worked together to fill the grave, to make the site beautiful, to play with Amelia, and to hear their stories as a soft snow fell around us. As they left, Alan turned to us and said “You said you couldn’t make it better, but in this beautiful space, you have no idea how much better you did make it.”


We were humbled and honored that Ava’s family found us and that we could be of service to them. Our winter newsletters have focused on our stewards, and we tell you this story to highlight how essential our community is to the work that we do and the families we serve.



Introducing Vermont Forest Cemetery Outreach Teams


We know many of you are far away and that being present on the day of a burial or an event isn’t feasible. But you don’t have to come to the cemetery to help families like Ava’s find us. We don’t advertise, because we know that word of mouth is an essential way for people to learn that natural burial is an option. So we are inviting anyone in our community who is interested to sign up to be part of our Outreach Team and help us promote Vermont Forest Cemetery at local events like farmers markets and Art Hop. Outreach team members will receive a kit that includes rack cards, pictures, maps, signup sheets and other material that you can display along with talking points and our FAQ to help guide conversations.



Of course, sharing our social media posts, arranging for a free screening in your community and talking about the cemetery are all very helpful too! If you see that we’re having a screening in your community please post about it on your social media and Front Porch Forum! You can always email us for suggested text you can use.



Events


While no additional screenings are scheduled for March, we do have a Virtual Q&A, Book Club, a Home Burial workshop and the long-awaited registration for Dirt Camp this summer! Read on for details and a preview of what’s coming in April.



Cemetery tours will begin again in May, but until then you can still ask your questions at a virtual Q&A! Join founder and head cemeterian Michelle Hogle Acciavatti, Board President Jim Hogle and cemeterian Bailey McLaughlin on Thursday March 26th at 6pm for our monthly Natural Burial Virtual Q&A. Can’t make it to the one in March? Don’t worry - on April 23rd at 6pm we’ll host another virtual Q&A! These Zoom calls are a great opportunity not only to answer your questions but to find community with other natural burial advocates.




Our first book club meeting was a huge success! Come join other readers in our community in a discussion about living well while facing mortality. Everything Happens For A Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler is our selected reading for our March Book Club! Kate Bowler is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and a professor at Duke University who shares her experience facing her own mortality after a stage IV colon cancer diagnosis. Kate tells her story and observations on dying and the ways it has taught her to live. Our book club will meet virtually on Sunday March 22nd at 4pm and we would love to see you there!




We know you have questions about home burial!


Our founder, Michelle Hogle Acciavatti, regularly assists people in establishing family cemeteries on their own property through her business, Green Mountain Funeral Alternatives. For the first time she is offering a group workshop! Come learn everything you need to know to have a natural burial on your own property.


This workshop will cover: how to determine if your property qualifies, how to site a cemetery on your property, how to work with your town for approval, how to amend your deed and create an easement, and how to plan for burial at home and complete the necessary paperwork with or without a funeral director.




The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gifts and Abundance by Robin Wall Kimmerer is our selected reading for our April Book Club! Robin Wall Kimmerer is an Indigenous scientist, mother, decorated professor and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In The Serviceberry, Kimmerer considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy, how it shows up within natural communities and how we can use this framework to create a better and more balanced society. Our book club will meet on Sunday April 26th from 4:00pm - 5:30pm.


Dirt Camp is Back!



We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting the second summer of Dirt Camp! Our 2026 session will take place Monday June 22nd through Friday June 26th from 9am - 3:00pm.



Dirt Camp is a multidisciplinary, educator led, place based learning summer day camp for adolescents aged 8 through 14 in Roxbury and neighboring towns. Our mission at Dirt Camp is to facilitate service ecology learning experiences while simultaneously fostering community building opportunities for local youth in the context of Vermont’s forest ecosystem. Campers can expect to design and collect data for experiments, participate in naturalistic observation, grow in their creative capacity through nature based art, and explore their empathy for all things living and nonliving.




Registration for all campers is set on a sliding scale and if you would like to donate supplies for our campers (notebooks, stationery, pens, pencils, art supplies, nonbreakable and preferably reusable cups, plates, flatware, mending materials, nature texts and books are all perfect!) please contact Bailey at bailey@cemetery.eco.


Lastly, we know there are many summer camps your family can choose from and we are so grateful you've chosen to support Dirt Camp. Help us reach a wider community by sharing about us either by word of mouth or by sharing this printable flyer with all our information. We are so grateful to work with so many fantastic families who support our mission. Below you'll find a PDF Flyer that can be printed and shared within your community.




Visiting During the Spring Thaw



All of our trails are open to the public and we have several guidelines for all of our visitors. Here’s what to expect during the cycles of thawing and refreezing.


🔴Tracy Hill Road, Beaver Meadow Road and Cram Hill Road are all very well maintained but visitors without experience driving in mud are urged to use caution.


​🔴The Cemetery is at 1800' elevation: we generally get much colder and windier weather than the valleys. We invite visitors to check current weather conditions, dress accordingly, and make good choices.


🔴Cemetery Lane and parking areas will be plowed within 48 hours after snow stops. Please do not drive into the entrance if it is not plowed!


🔴Trails may be muddy: good footwear is a must.


🔴Our privy is closed for the season. Public bathroom facilities are available at the Roxbury Town Offices, at Roxbury Fish Culture Station, and at South Village Mobil in Northfield.


At certain points in the season, some trails may temporarily be closed but we will remain open for burials.


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.

 
 
 

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