Discovering green alternatives to traditional burials & cremation

Green Philly hosted an insightful Green Burials event at Laurel Hill on June 11th, featuring a panel of experts discussing sustainable burial practices and their ecological benefits.

Nancy Goldenberg, President and CEO of Laurel Hill, opened the event by emphasizing the importance of cemeteries as vital green spaces in urban areas. She highlighted Laurel Hill’s commitment to sustainability through initiatives such as the Nature Sanctuary, the only cemetery landscape globally with SITES Gold Certification.

Green Burial Panel Recap

The panel included Emily Maroni from Friends of Green Burial PA, Gregg Tepper, Laurel Hill’s senior horticulturist, and Tom Cavanaugh from Laurel Hill. They discussed various aspects of green burials, describing how these practices offer a return to simpler, pre-Civil War burial methods without the use of embalming fluids, concrete vaults, or elaborate caskets.

Tepper shared insights on how green burial areas like Bala Green and Nature’s Sanctuary foster local habitats and biodiversity, providing a sanctuary for both plants and wildlife. Cavanaugh highlighted the practicalities and benefits of green burials compared to traditional methods, noting that green burials reduce carbon footprints and promote a deeper connection to the earth. Maroni mentioned that public opinions of green burials are more open to it, although there may be reasons (religion, traditions) that people are more apprehensive about.

Listen to the full panel.

Did you know we recorded this panel? Listen to the full podcast on our podcast, Gritty & Green:

Our attendees also toured Bala Green, Laurel Hill’s newest green burial site, with Tepper as our tour guide to learn about its design and integration with the natural landscape. Overall, the event blended education, community engagement, and a shared commitment to sustainability.

Guests enjoyed networking over Bonterra wine, light hors d’oeuvres and received plants to take home. Want to join our upcoming events? Subscribe to our weekly email or follow us on Instagram at @greenphilly.news.

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher