Foster Beautiful, Meaningful Dispositions for Your Families with Better Place Forests
Imagine standing alongside a family as they celebrate a loved one’s life not within the walls of a chapel or church, but amid a wide open, lush landscape, in the shadow of majestic trees, a fresh, gentle breeze wafting through the air. Members of this family will return to this permanent, protected, and preserved place for generations to picnic, pay homage, or perhaps even to hold a similar ceremony for another loved one, and they’ll inevitably and gratefully remember how you and your team made this experience possible for them — all because you partnered with Better Place Forests.
“A partnership between Better Place Forests and our local funeral homes helps us both serve families who go to a funeral home to learn about options for cremated remains,” explains Tori Nonnemacher, General Manager at the St. Croix Valley Memorial Forest in Minnesota, one of nine Better Place Forests located throughout the United States. “We want to provide resources and be part of the conversation you’re having with families. We believe that when we’re connected with funeral homes in our communities that everyone involved benefits.”
Much more than scattering
It’s actually quite easy to share placement within a Better Place Forest with families once you learn about the benefits and just how beautiful the experience can be. To put it simply, Better Place Forests facilitates the disposition of cremated remains at dedicated, designated spots within protected acreage of established forests. The remains are integrated into the local soil, placed at the base of a tree the family has selected, and covered. The Better Place Forests team places a custom inscribed bronze Memorial Marker at the tree.
However, while the process is fairly straightforward, the Better Place Forest team has transformed it into a meaningful “Forest Memorial” ceremony in which the family can fully participate if they choose to do so. Memorial guests are invited to participate in combining the cremains with the soil, then placing and covering the mixture at the site.
“It’s a beautiful memorial ceremony, and can be a healing ritual for people to move through that process together,” explains Nonnemacher. “Everyone’s together, placing their loved one in this space at the base of the tree. And you’re surrounded by this beautiful forest, which is just incredible.”
Permanent and protected memorialization
The tree at which families are placing the remains of their loved one is also special in itself, as it belongs to the family in perpetuity — which means they will also have access to the property for generations.
“You can come out for visits and bring your grandkids, kids, pets, or friends — anyone you want,” shares Nonnemacher. ‘You have this opportunity to create memories with your loved ones, whether it’s picnics, hikes, or time at your tree. So when someone passes, maybe your loved ones will remember when grandma brought them out and had a picnic by the lake, or sat at the tree for a while and read a poem. It’s creating these moments for everyone in an environment where, especially for children, death is not scary.”
The acreage within the Better Place Forests properties is not only protected for the families, but it is also ecologically conserved. Every effort is made to keep the forest in its natural, original state.
“Our goal is to keep the forest as close as possible to its natural state,” Nonnemacher explains. “If a tree comes down, it stays where it lands and becomes a nurse log, and feeds the forest floor its nutrients over time.”
A true family tree
When a family purchases a tree for one spreading, they always have the option to buy spreading rights at a reduced cost for others, whether that’s a spouse, descendants, or even pets. Families may also add a completely customizable Memorial Marker that will include their tree number so it will always be connected to that spot.
Currently, Better Place Forests’s nine breathtaking properties are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, Arizona, and California — and families are not limited to selecting a spot based on their proximity to a location. In fact, some choose properties that became special destinations for hiking vacations or other events.
However, Better Place is always exploring new opportunities for expansion and partnerships to provide access to more and more families — and that most certainly includes partnerships with funeral homes across the country.
“We hope to create relationships where we can refer Better Place Forests customers who are looking for additional services to our funeral home partners,” says Nonnemacher. “Families will know we have a relationship with the funeral home; that we are recommending partners we deeply trust. We’re going to send families to them because our goal is to offer options that work for everyone. To be part of the conversation when someone is looking for a nature-based option.”
If you’re interested in becoming a partner of Better Place Forests, or just want to learn more, reach out to Jess Wakefield at jessica.wakefield@betterplaceforests.com or visit betterplaceforests.com.
