October 2026
Fall foliage—and fall temperatures—seemed to come upon us all at once this year, but following a few days of steady rain many of the leaves are already down on the forest floor. As we move into the golden-brown season, with the beech and oak trees taking over from the showy maple and birch at the cemetery, we’re noticing our summer birds leaving and winter birds arriving, red squirrels storing up for winter, and frost on the ground in the mornings. There are still a few events before our outdoor activities calendar goes on pause for the season. Read on for a recap of our fall events, and what you can look forward to before we transition to indoor and online activities.
In this newsletter you’ll find:
A look back at our Fall Events
After Death-care Course
Upcoming events
Final Tours & Stewardship Day
Looking Back At Our Fall Events
Our Fall Events started off with a concert from local musicians Allison Mann and Colin McCaffrey on September 27th, who braved a chilly and rainy day to play for a hardy and enthusiastic audience. While we wish the weather had been better, the rain helped to amplify Allison’s voice and the music filled the entire Sheepfold. We hope they’ll come back next summer. We can’t promise it won’t rain, but it should at least be warmer!
On October 3rd we hosted a memorial event in partnership with Empty Arms VT and Good Beginnings as a part of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. We were honored to host these organizations and the families who came to remember their babies. We look forward to this becoming an annual event the first Saturday in October.
On October 10th, we held our 4th Annual Open House to celebrate three years of serving Vermont. A large and enthusiastic group of participants joined us to celebrate all five branches of our mission: our cemeterian, Bailey McLaughlin, hosted an animal tracking workshop in the Spruce Grove; Vermont Book Award winning poet Carlene Kucharczyk gave a poetry reading in the labyrinth; local musician Zach Nugent filled the forest with acoustic covers and original songs; and artist and filmmaker Carla Kimball debuted her installation “Into the Woods” which will hang along the Lower Rock Wall Trail through the winter.
Attendees also had a chance to see the inside of our new cottage, contribute to a nature mandala, visit with vendors working in death and grief-care while getting to know the cemetery and each other, and use the new, accessible privy in the lower parking area. To cap it off, our founder, Michelle Hogle Acciavatti, took 50 people on a tour of the cemetery, sharing stories and lessons we’ve learned over the last three years.
Over a hundred people stopped by throughout the day and our shuttle system was a great success. We were thrilled so many people came to engage in conservation, art, learning, and community while learning more about natural burial, Vermont Forest Cemetery, and what we do for the families we serve. This event is always the Saturday of Indigenous People’s Day Weekend, so save the date for October 9, 2027!
After Death-care
How to legally care for the dead in Vermont
Our founder, Michelle Hogle Acciavatti, is also a deathcare worker who specializes in helping people care for their own dead. While this was what everyone did 150 years ago, few people today know that it is an option, or how to find out if it would the right choice for them. Together with death doulas Lindsey Warren and Kasey March, she teaches After-Death Care: How to legally care for the dead in Vermont, a four part course designed to help people learn why they might care for someone's body after death, what skills and knowledge they need to do so, and get hands on practice in community.
This fall's class is full, but they will be offering it again. We'll share in this newsletter when registration opens, but please email us if you would like to be personally notified about the next class. VFC Graveholder receive a 15% discount.
Email: michelle@memorial.eco
Upcoming Events
Spend a morning in community and listen to a sermon from our founder and head cemeterian Michelle Hogle Acciavatti in Springfield, Vermont at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House on Sunday October 25th at 10am. Michelle will talk about how her work with Vermont Forest Cemetery, the dead who sustain it, and the people who miss them has taught her what it means to be here now and love each moment she has been given. After the service there will be a screening of the documentary From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America.
Have you had a chance to see the award winning documentary From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America? This short film follows the opening of Vermont Forest Cemetery and its first burial along with interviews with natural burial experts and advocates. Screenings of the film include a brief informational presentation and a Q&A with founder Michelle Hogle Acciavatti and board president Jim Hogle. The next screening will be on Saturday November 28th from 10am - 11:30am at the Sandgate Town Hall.
We will have an additional screening on Sunday December 6th from 4:00pm - 5:30pm in Warren at the Warren Public Library.
We’re heading to the Northeast Kingdom! Join us on Sunday December 13th at 10:30am in Derby Line at the First Universalist Parish for a sermon by Michelle Hogle Acciavatti. In her sermon she will talk about what being a mother and a deathworker has taught her about holding on and letting go.
Last Tours & Stewardship Days
It’s hard to believe we are already coming up on our final cemetery tours for the 2026 season! While we operate 365 days a year for site selections and burials, during winter and mud season we take a temporary pause on public tours. Weather can be more unpredictable and we do our best to limit wear and tear on Beaver Meadow Road for our Roxbury neighbors. So if you’ve been considering it but haven’t yet taken a tour, now is the time!
Our final 2026 Founder’s Tour with Michelle Hogle Acciavatti will be on
Sunday November 15th from 2pm - 4pm.
Our final 2026 Cemeterian Tour with Bailey McLaughlin will be on
Saturday November 21st at 10am - 11:30am.
In place of tours, we will host monthly virtual Q&As in January through May. So if you have questions about the cemetery, how it works, or natural burial in general, keep an eye on our events page for dates and times!
Our final Cemetery Stewardship Day is right around the corner! Meet other natural burial enthusiasts and help us prepare the cemetery for winter operations on our final stewardship day of 2026 on Saturday November 15th from 10am - 2pm. We won’t spoil the surprise but volunteers can expect to wrap up the day with some extra-special pumpkin fun.
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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