What We Offer
Burial
For burial in Vermont Forest Cemetery, bodies should not be embalmed or otherwise chemically preserved (even with so-called "green embalming" chemicals). Immediate burial is not necessary, as bodies can be kept cool using refrigeration or ice until the date of interment. Bodies will be buried in a biodegradable container or shroud made out of natural materials such as wood, cardboard, and natural fibers. Plastic is not permitted in the cemetery, and metal and synthetic fibers are strongly discouraged. Vermont Forest Cemetery is open for burial 365 days a year. We can connect families with artisans who are creating caskets made of wicker and wood. People are also welcome to provide their own caskets, shrouds, and burial containers. We encourage people to keep their carbon footprint small and support Vermont's economy by purchasing locally.
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Working with a funeral director is not required. Please contact us to learn more and make arrangements. We work closely with a local for-profit business, Green Mountain Funeral Alternatives, which provides hands-on support for people who do not wish to work with a funeral director.
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Burial must take place between dawn and dusk and may include a graveside service. People are welcome to assist in decorating the grave, lowering the body by hand, and closing the grave. Once closed, the grave will re-wild with understory vegetation. Paths to gravesites will also be allowed to re-wild, but can be maintained by visitors: they will not be maintained by the cemetery without specific arrangements. Visits must take place during daylight hours. All visitors must sign a log-book when entering and exiting the cemetery and agree to abide by our rules and regulations.
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All burial sites are surveyed and recorded on a map that is on file both at the cemetery office and the Town of Roxbury. Each grave will be marked with a bronze pin just beneath the soil surface, and families may choose to place flat surface headstones or any marker that does not require a concrete base and does not disrupt the character of the burial area. Certain areas of the cemetery will also allow for grave decorations made of natural, biodegradable materials. All markers will be reviewed by the cemetery.
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Vermont Forest Cemetery is not burying companion animals at this time.
Cremation
We wish to clarify our policy on cremation. This has been a topic which we have been trying to find a balance between the needs of mourners and the needs of the forest over the past two years. In the end we decided soon after opening that we needed to restrict interment of cremains to very special and specific cases. Specifically, we limit interment of cremains to three circumstances:
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1) The cremains of a predeceased loved one (e.g. a spouse or child who died and was cremated earlier or a reasonable number of pet cremains) are being buried along with the body of a person who has purchased burial rights for a natural burial.
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2) There are unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances at the time of death (e.g. a person who has prepurchased burial rights dies and dies internationally).
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3) The remains were cremated because the person donated their body to medical research.
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If you are planning on being cremated and wish to have your remains buried in a forest setting, we encourage you to check out Life Forest in Hillsborough, New Hampshire which offers people the opportunity to bury ashes in a conservation setting as well as plant a memorial tree of their choosing to honor their loved ones
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In special cases of cremain interment, graves are surveyed and recorded on a map that is on file both at the cemetery office and the Town of Roxbury. Each grave will be marked with a bronze pin just beneath the soil surface, and families may choose to place flat surface headstones or any marker that does not require a concrete base and does not disrupt the character of the burial area. All markers will be reviewed by the cemetery.
The Memorial Grove
Sometimes, there is no body to bury. In addition to our scattering areas, we also have a section where families can memorialize a loved one: an infant who died before birth, a soldier who died overseas, or anyone who is no longer with us and does not have a grave. Markers in this section are subject to the same policies as all other areas.
Sites are similarly surveyed as graves, and recorded on a map that is on file both at the cemetery office and the Town of Roxbury. Families may choose to place flat surface headstones or any marker that does not require a concrete base and does not disrupt the character of the burial area. All markers will be reviewed by the cemetery.
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