POTSDAM — Bayside Cemetery has launched its fall 2020 donor appeal.

Established in 1865, Bayside Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and historical significance.

Its 42-acres of developed park-like burial grounds are open to visitors each day, with many runners, walkers and dog walkers taking advantage of the tree-lined trails.

The cemetery's endowment covers only about 40 percent of annual expenses, like maintenance and grounds work, with community donations covering much of the difference.

This year, community donations will also go toward completion of the new Pines urn garden, which was built and partially landscaped this summer.

Located in a quiet, shady location near the Raquette River, the only landscaped urn garden in the county features 150 sites for one to two cremation urns with raised stone site markers. Hydrangea, coral bells, coneflowers and ferns will decorate the garden, along with a stone bench centerpiece for rest and reflection. Memorial pillars are also available to mount plaques memorializing those whose remains are not at Bayside. Sites in the urn garden are accessible to those with mobility impairments.

A new "green" or "natural" burial ground is also planned in a currently undeveloped section of the cemetery, which will connect by a pathway to the urn garden. Green or natural burial is an interment in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition and allows the body to be naturally recycled. The body is prepared without chemical preservatives and may be buried in a biodegradable coffin, casket, or shroud. This type of grave does not use a burial vault or outer burial container.

Donations by community members are appreciated and can be made online at baysidepotsdam.org/donate or by check to Bayside Cemetery, PO Box 491, Potsdam, NY 13676

Bayside Cemetery also welcomes donations of time from the community to help maintain its grounds.

The Bayside Cemetery Association is a 501(c)(13) organization managed and operated by 15 volunteer trustees and a small staff. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by the IRS.