Tompkins Weekly

Greensprings Cemetery celebrates 15 years



Michelle Menter, manager at Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield, stands among the locust trees where she is creating a Remembrance Grove for those who have suffered a perinatal loss. Photo by Cathy Shipos.

Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve, located on the top of Irish Hill in Newfield, will celebrate 15 years in operation this summer. Michelle Menter, newly appointed manager, is always surprised when she stumbles across people who are unaware that such a valuable resource exists right here in our community.

“Greensprings was one of the first natural cemeteries in New York state and is still one of the few 100% certified natural burial grounds and nature preserves in the country,” Menter said. “I’m making it my personal mission to spread the word.”

Menter was hired at Greensprings in 2018 as a burial coordinator, one of four. When the position of cemetery manager was created by the Board of Trustees in 2020, she eagerly took on the added responsibilities. Far from being sad or depressing, Menter finds the work gratifying.

“Dealing with death and dying can be sad, but it’s also incredibly uplifting,” Menter said. “Being honest about mortality makes you feel more alive and grateful for the time you have. It reminds you to make the most of every day.”

One of her favorite parts of the job is giving tours through the 130 acres of rolling grasslands surrounded by an additional 8,000 acres of pretected forest, particularly in the spring and summer months. Greensprings looks different from most cemeteries, as there are no headstones jutting up to interrupt the view of distant hills. Grave markers in the three burial areas lie flat with the earth, and many of the stones originated on site.

“I take people up to Leopold Lookout, where you can see all the way to the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. In the summer, you can’t walk through the meadow without kicking up clouds of butterflies,” Menter said. “The wildflowers are in bloom, and there are birds everywhere. It’s an amazing place.”

Menter said that the number of site purchases rose considerably in 2020, as the pandemic inspired many people to think about their own mortality and put their affairs in order. During tours, Menter lets the location work its magic, while she explains the financial and environmental benefits of a natural burial.

“A lot of people spend their lives trying to do right by the environment and don’t realize the huge opportunity to minimize the environmental impact of their passing,” Menter said.

More than 50% of people in the U.S. now choose cremation, many because they believe it to be better for the environment. In fact, every cremation produces about 150 pounds of CO2 or the equivalent of driving 600 miles, according to the California-based nonprofit Green Burial Council. A conventional burial contributes to the production of about 230 pounds of CO2 and is much more expensive. The coffin itself, often made of an exotic hardwood grown in the rainforest, comes at a huge cost.

“You can’t beat natural burial for a low-impact return to the earth,” Menter said. “More than that, it allows people who are grieving to be a real part of laying someone to rest. It puts them closer to the natural world with its potential for healing and comfort.”

While Menter says that no two burials are alike, most families hold a graveside service of some sort. Though the number of mourners has been limited during the pandemic, Greensprings never closed to family members. As the body is lowered into the earth in a plain pine box or burial shroud, mourners may choose to add an evergreen bough or shovelful of earth.

“Some services are led by a funeral director or minister. Some involve music and poetry. Some are simply friends and family sharing stories of their loved one,” Menter said. “There is something disarming and peaceful about being surrounded by nature. Even a family of doubters who had anticipated a more conventional burial find themselves opening up. It feels more real.”

Menter is currently working on a new initiative at Greensprings, the establishment of a Remembrance Grove. Set in a glade of locust trees and moss, the Remembrance Grove will provide a place of solace for people who’ve suffered perinatal loss. With work on paths and benches beginning this spring, Menter hopes that the resource will be open to the community in the fall.

“Parents and families who’ve suffered a loss from miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy will be invited to walk amongst the trees, sit on benches along the wandering path and bring a small stone to add to the memorial cairn,” Menter said. “This space will be held in common for people to share a sadness that is often experienced alone.”

Another project coming up this summer is a series of plein air art classes led by Camille Doucet and Angela Mennitto called “Drawing in the Meadow, Reflecting on Impermanence.” Participants will be invited to observe and sketch the natural world — insects, leaves, trees, clouds — as well as create written reflections on the experience. Classes will be held over five Saturdays from July through September. Go to www.naturalburial.org/arts to register and to learn what materials you’ll need.

Not just a cemetery, Greensprings is also a nature preserve dedicated to conservation and stewardship of the land. The Board of Directors established an Ecological Advisory Committee to draw on the expertise of area naturalists, ornithologists and soil scientists in their efforts to preserve wetlands, maintain healthy open grasslands and restore native flora and fauna.

Some grant money is available to help with current projects like the removal of invasive species and the planting of native trees and wildflowers, but donations and volunteers are always welcome.

“It’s a balance, mostly a harmonious one, between meeting people’s burial wishes and the needs of the land itself,” Menter said. “Because the cemetery was established in perpetuity, becoming a sustaining member means that our efforts to preserve all of this can continue forever.”

For more information on natural burial, to become a sustaining member, or to schedule a tour of Greensprings, visit its website at naturalburial.org.

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