Partnerships

Tippecanoe County SWCD's Green Burial Project highlights highlights conservation practices/showcases a unique partnership

2009 was an interesting year for the Tippecanoe County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). The District was contacted by Hippensteel Funeral Home because the funeral home wanted the District's input on a “green cemetery” project they were trying to initiate at a local cemetery, SpringVale Cemetery.

Green burial is a relatively new phenomenon that involves burial in a natural setting. It has many definitions, but is generally known as a burial that returns a body to the earth without the use of vaults or traditional embalming methods so that the body may recycle naturally. It is usually coupled with a habitat area, making green burial sites similar to parks.

Tippecanoe County SWCD's green burial project emphasizes the need for sustainability in every aspect of life, and wildlife use areas. It highlights buffer areas between urban lands and wildlife use areas. Hippensteel Funeral Home wanted a native grassland, savanna, and woodland to serve as their habitat types. Grave plots are set up within each of these areas and customers have many alternative choices for burial.

The SWCD has worked with Hippensteel to ensure that burial packages include conservation as a main focus. As a result customers have individual choices in each habitat area for their grave site. For example, in the grassland site, an individual may select specific wildflowers that have aesthetic, personal, or special wildlife value to be added to their site after settling occurs. In the savanna, an approved list of trees (those that can withstand fire and are native savanna species) can be chosen to be placed at the grave head. These unique alternatives serve many purposes, ultimately allowing the funeral home and the SWCD to achieve a habitat area with many micro-niches suitable for a variety of birds, bees, butterflies, mammals and other species that would not be found in a typical restored grassland because of cost and time limitations.

One of our primary goals is to increase buffer areas in the county, as well as provide suitable wildlife habitat. With this project the District can increase buffers and wildlife and provide a more eco-friendly alternative to the traditional cemetery/burial process.

Hippensteel is responsible for conveying the green burial process to individual customers. However, as part of their mission they have initiated conference tours that highlight this project to other funeral homes, conservation organizations, and the general public to help promote the idea and further educate individuals.

Partners in the project include the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, AgVenture D&M, a local grass/wildflower seed vendor; the National Green Burial Council, an organization responsible for setting the
legal guidelines that must be in place before this type of cemetery can exist and burial can occur; Hippensteel, the local funeral home that wanted to highlight conservation as a main focus of burial; USDA NRCS; and SpringVale Cemetery, the site where conversion is taking place.

Hippensteel Funeral Home is responsible for the majority of the cost of this project, but the District has partnered with them and supplied Clean Water Indiana Funds to sponsor a portion of the project.

The benefits of this project are large-scale. Hippensteel, SpringVale Cemetery and the SWCD have provided a relatively secluded habitat area off of a major highway, State Road 25, allowed for recycling of the body. The habitat area provides filtration from runoff occurring from State Road 25, increased native vegetation in the county, as well as focuses on increasing grassland vegetation, which is threatened nationally, and provides individuals with a conservation choice for one of life’s greatest emotional events.

The prairie/savanna areas were planted in May 2009 and since it is a three-year process for these wildflowers and grasses to become established, the result in ongoing. The District has marked trees in the woodland area and cleared areas for grave sites. Approximately 3.5 acres (savanna and grassland area) have been planted and depending upon the success of this area as well as public response, Hippensteel is working on larger acreages to be acquired and set aside for this type of burial.

In the beginning, this strange request started a wave of laughter to spread through the Tippecanoe County SWCD office, but as the staff began to learn and talk more about this with their NRCS office staff and within their own staff, they realized this whole process is the wave of the future. Indiana performed its first certified green burial last fall and they were on board. The SWCD has a great sense of pride in knowing Indiana has made a conservation first and through their efforts they are helping to make it possible. This shows that SWCDs have great purpose in each county and with a motivated and encouraged staff with technical skill; even the most unique project is possible.

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