NATURAL BURIAL: RETURNING TO THE EARTH THAT HAS NOURISHED US

ENVISION THIS...Worldwide citizen-driven movements in support of natural burial.

A "natural burial"  reflects the desire for something simpler, something less 'wasteful' of time, money and natural resources. At its core, it cries out for the body's physical return to the earth, without barriers or inhibitions (in the form of non-degradable vaults or metal and plastic coffins) that prevent its transformation back into the elements of which it is made. 

Our guests this evening, Eva Thompson and Chuck Lakin, help folks to plan and conduct funerals that can vary widely, reflecting differences in culture, religious preference, ecological ethos, grieving style, and aesthetics.  They will introduce our listeners to “alternatives at the end of life.”

Reverend Eva Thompson is an ordained, interfaith community minister, available to officiate memorial services and weddings. At her website, MaineCelebrant.com, she says, “ As a Certified Celebrant for Funerals, I work closely with your family to create a memorial that honors and celebrates your loved one. I listen closely to your stories and strive to intuit the best language and tone to use.”

Chuck Larkin is a coffin maker who displays plans for a variety of wooden coffins at lastthings.net, a website designed:

•  For those who want to be more in control of what happens to their own body after death, or would like to explore ways to care for a loved one's body after death. . .
•     For those who wish for options other than the standard funeral practices of our day,and long for simple burial . . .
•     For those who would rather have after-death care centered in family and community life...
• For those who desire to talk about these and other Last Things.