The first dedicated green cemetery in Colorado assists people

green cemetery : “You are familiar with the expression “ashes to dust, ashes to dust'” said Miller, the owner and the founder of the Colorado Burial Preserve. “So I believe that the idea that a last resting spot in a natural, beautiful place is easy to be emotionally attached to.”

Nearly 100 miles to the south of Denver A 65-acre piece of land is the site of Colorado’s first green cemetery that is a devoted green space. Instead of tombstones in rows, the old range and ranch is covered with prairie grasses, wildflowers and prairie grasses with pinyon and juniper trees dotted throughout the landscape. Local wildlife like deer and birds are located in the area, hunting, nesting, and finding their home in the swath in which they meet the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains.

“When you shut your eyes and imagine an idyllic spot you might think of an idyllic meadow that is dotted with high-growing flowers … in which things can continue to develop and degrade in their own time,” said Miller.

Through Miller’s work, people can decide to become part of nature -laid to rest and allowed to naturally decay. Natural burials (green cemetery), that provide an opportunity for individuals to return to their natural cycles, without the need for elements, is focused on reducing the impact of the chemical and waste that are often used in contemporary burials.

The clients can decide to be buried entirely natural or wrapped in biodegradable material or a simple wooden box. The method doesn’t require embalming liquids and lacquered coffins that are commonly used at funeral houses.

Miller started The Colorado Burial Preserve about a year in the past. She was motivated to start the possibilities of this business after, while at an earlier position in the funeral industry an individual came in to seek alternatives to a natural burial to honor their deceased father. Miller discovered that there was only a few options for laying for burial in a wilderness and green cemetery ,natural area of Colorado.

“I was hoping I could provide them with options that could reduce their pain by knowing the family had met their father’s wishes…and this is why it was that the Colorado Burial Preserve was born,” Miller said.

Miller recognizes that burials aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Barbara Clark, for example was motivated to discover alternatives to the standard funeral options after the death of her mother.

“It’s simply something I am a believer in,”” Clark told Rocky Mountain PBS. “I believe we’ve already done enough damage to this planet as well as our home in different way … Why do we continue continuing to do it?”

Clark discovered her way to the Colorado Burial Preserve through a Google search, and was ecstatic to find it near her home in Florence. After visiting the site, she was able to confirm her desires as she began her work with Miller to pick a site on the property.

Miller will offer the option to families and those who would like it however she’s also trying to alter the method by which American way of life views death. Miller emphasized that, particularly because of the pandemic death is usually viewed as something that is only acceptable in private, but actually, the burial of the body to be buried as well as the formality of funerals are rituals that can be reassuring to the families left behind by the deceased.

“I have spent many hours looking at the remains of other people, and one thing has always been evident to me is that the person is no longer there when their life has left the person, it could appear like they were the person was there, but they’re not,” she said. “The most important thing is taking care of the ones who have been left in the wake of.”

One of the ways to take care of the people who have passed away, Miller said, is making use of the burial site as a means of ensuring natural and natural landscapes for the next generation to be able to enjoy. Colorado Burial Preserve does this by providing an unspoiled burial site as well as seeking to conserve the land, which includes the control of invasive species, increasing biodiversity, and treating the area as a natural habitat.

In the next few years, Miller is working to create hiking trails throughout the preserve, as well as a welcoming center where she can talk with customers, and a tiny amphitheater in which services could be offered.

This initiative is crucial for Miller since many working in the funeral industry according to her, aren’t motivated to provide natural burials due to the typical revenue streams that result from expensive burial caskets made of metal, concrete tombs and embalming expenses. This means that a burial that is natural isn’t a great option for large firms that typically push families to select more expensive alternatives. However, for Miller it’s not only a matter of profit It’s about providing people with the chance to go back to earth in the most natural way as is feasible.

“I believe that nature is a great teacher, and we can improve our lives, and in our interactions to the climate and planet when we pay attention to her teachings,” Miller said.