Conservation/ Green Funerals

About Me

aConservation or 'green' funerals is not a new idea in the way we care for our dead, but rather a forgotten tradition. Since the Civil War, embalming has become the traditional way of the American funeral. A man by the name of "Dr." Thomas Holmes had created the current day embalming process that is still posed to the grief stricken families when arranging a funeral and is rarely declined by the family. Reasons behind this is that many of us are misinformed about what we have the right to do. In most cases embalming is NOT required, but many people feel obligated to go ahead and have it done. By going ahead with the embalming process on our loved ones, we (the American public) are allowing the harmful effects this practice has on our psychological well-being, by the way of 'covering-up' the death with this process and the effects on our environment by creating a different type of land-fill.

My Interests

Green Funeral and home funeral awareness. The effects of the funeral service industry on the environment and on our physical and psychological well-being needs.

I'd like to meet:

People who care about the world they will someday leave behind. People looking to become educated about how to go about creating a "green" funeral or creating a "home" funeral, with or without the use of a funeral service professional. Please send me an email if you have any questions about the subject. My name is Kelly Dwyer(Phelan Vanth) and I have studied the American Funeral Industry for over 10 years. I would be happy to point you in the right direction for those interested in knowing more of about green and home funerals.

Books:

The American Way of Death, The Natural Death Handbook, websites to check out: http://www.glendalenaturepreserve.org/home_funeral.pdf, http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2004/afamilyundertaking/, http://www.naturaldeathcare.org/, http://woodlandburial.htmlplanet.com , http://immarama.faithweb.com

Heroes:

Jessica Mitford, Nicholas Albery, Janelle Va Melvin, Jerrigrace Lyons

My Blog

Natural Passings seminar in Madison, WI

As a member of the Trust for Natural Legacies, Inc., I wanted to be sure to get the word out about the weekend of March 28-30 for the Natural Passings: Reclaiming the End of Life seminar. There ...
Posted by Conservation/ Green Funerals on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:21:00 PST

Some great questions to ask your local funeral directors!

To help you with the challenge of meeting and talking with your local funeral director to learn more about your options as a mourner and planner of a loved one's funeral, I've posted some key question...
Posted by Conservation/ Green Funerals on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:53:00 PST

Has anybody tried this challenge yet?

Hey Folks,I'm curious to hear about your stories when you meet with your area funeral director(s). Has anyone tried this challenge just yet? If not...
Posted by Conservation/ Green Funerals on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:25:00 PST

What type of funeral would you like to have?

A good friend of mine asked me what I would want to have done for my own funeral. She was also interested in knowing how to have a green funeral and still have a viewing. I thought we coul...
Posted by Conservation/ Green Funerals on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 08:59:00 PST

I know this is not something you want to think about, but...

Granted, most of us try not to think about our own deaths. It is the obvious...morbid and depressing. But to think about what your options are NOW and what your wishes are in the event of ...
Posted by Conservation/ Green Funerals on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 01:30:00 PST

Empower yourself.

Dear friends,I have been doing some poking around online and have found a few sites you may have interest in checking out sometime. There are some very wonderful sites emerging for learning more...
Posted by Conservation/ Green Funerals on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:43:00 PST

A way to be buried 'green'

'Green' burial includes no embalming and the use of wrapping the body in a shroud or placing them (the deceased) in a completely bio-degradable coffin/casket that can be made of non-treated wood, wick...
Posted by Conservation/ Green Funerals on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:10:00 PST