End of Life Pre-Planning
It is extremely beneficial to prepare your end of life wishes well in advance. Your loved ones will be grateful for the guidance you have provided them as to how you would like them to handle the details of your ceremony and burial. Another great entrance point for folks when considering end of life planning generally is to start calling your local (and/or ours) funeral homes to get to know what questions they can answer for you including how familiar they are with natural burial.
Useful Forms & Resources
People’s Funeral Cooperative website hosts links to Disposition Authorization and Designated Agent forms.
End of Life Washington has a very thorough and inclusive end of life Advance Directive and POLST information as well.
The Washington and Oregon Funeral Resource and Education websites, developed through a community foundation grant, are great resources for family and community-led deathcare.
Washington Funeral Resources & Education
Oregon Funeral Resources & Education
Organizations
Green Burial Council | GBC is a national certification program for green cemeteries and we are certified through them as a Conservation Burial Ground. Their website Resources section is very helpful, including these following guides:
The following organizations are also helpful sources of support and guidance:
National Home Funeral Alliance | home funeral information, resources for anyone wanting to learn how to prepare a body for green burial.
Green Burial Info | general info on the green burial movement
Conservation Burial Alliance I A national non-profit dedicated to supporting Conservation Burial Grounds
Natural Funeral Company | Biodegradable caskets and shrouds.
Peoples Memorial Association | Helping Washington State residents with end of life arrangements since 1939
Funeral Consumer Alliance | excellent resource for funeral planning in Washington State
A Sacred Passing I A Seattle-based organization dedicated to education and assistance to support conscious dying experiences.
Death Resource Center I An online collection of resources related to death and dying, primarily in the Seattle area.
Books
Greening Death: Reclaiming Burial Practices and Restoring our Ties to the Earth (We are featured in this one!) by Suzanne Kelly PhD
Reimagining Death – Stories and Practical Wisdom for Home Funerals and Green Burials, by Lucinda Herring, a local funeral director
Come of Age and Die Wise, by Stephen Jenkinson
Green Burial Guidebook, by Elizabeth Fournier
Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial, by Mark Harris
Our Last Best Act, by Mallory McDuff