Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

located at 293 Irish Hill Road in

Newfield, New York Newfield is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 5,184 at the 2020 census. The town's name is derived from the many unoccupied tracts of land that were once in the town. The Town of Newfield is in the southwest p ...

. Founded in 2006 as a

natural burial Natural burial is the interment of the body of a dead person in the soil in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition but allows the body to be naturally recycled. It is an alternative to other contemporary Western burial methods and funerary ...

cemetery, the preserve covers of rolling meadows and is surrounded by of

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

's Arnot Forest and Newfield State Forest.

History

Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve - Founders Stone

Greensprings is one of the first green burial sites in

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

, and one of only a few 100% natural cemeteries in the United States. The Greensprings Natural Cemetery Association was incorporated in 2004 under the leadership of Jennifer Johnson, Susan Thomas, Mary Woodsen, and Carl Leopold. Initially, seven acres of land on Irish Hill in Newfield,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

were purchased from Herb Engman, a

Town of Ithaca The Town of Ithaca is a former local government area of Queensland, Australia, located in inner western Brisbane. History The Ithaca Division was first proclaimed in 1879, and originally covered an area that stretched from Windsor, Kelvin Gro ...

supervisor and staunch ecologist. Engman subsequently donated a further 93 acres to the preserve, thereby becoming the preserve's main benefactor. The first

at Greensprings occurred in 2006. Greensprings has been working with the

Natural Resource Conservation Service Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners an ...

of the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

to make the preserve more inviting to grassland birds, improve pollinator habitat, and remove invasive tree and shrub species.

Facilities

Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve - West Meadow in the Fall

Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve is at the top of Irish Hill in Newfield,

. The site of a former dairy farm, the preserve comprises 130 acres of meadows and woodland, and is surrounded by an additional 8,000 acres of protected land consisting of

's Arnot Forest and Newfield State Forest. From the bench at Leopold Lookout, named in honor of founder Carl Leopold, who is buried at Greensprings, it is possible to see all the way to the

Endless Mountains The Endless Mountains are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Endless Mountains region includes Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties. The highest peak in the region is the North Kn ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Burials at Greensprings occur in 15' x 15' (4.6 m x 4.6 m) plots. Bodies are not embalmed and there are no burial vaults. Only biodegradable materials such as natural fiber shrouds, wicker baskets, or plain wooden coffins are allowed. Grave markers lie flat with the earth and consist of uncut, locally sourced stones. Although burying and scattering of ashes is permitted in designated areas at Greensprings, this practice is somewhat discouraged due to the environmental costs of

cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a Cadaver, dead body through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India ...

. A section of the cemetery, consecrated by Rabbi Scott Glass, is designated for Jewish burials. The "Remembrance Grove" is intended for people who have suffered miscarriages or the death of a child.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve
Greensprings Website

Greensprings Facebook Group
Cemeteries in the United States