BY MATT LINDSEYNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM — Natural burial is now an option in St. Lawrence County and local cemeteries and funeral homes are gearing up as interest grows.

Bayside Cemetery in Potsdam was approved last September by the New York State Division of Cemeteries to offer a natural burial option.

Natural burial reduces one’s environmental footprint compared to conventional interment or cremation. Bayside is one of few cemeteries in the North Country that has set aside sections dedicated to natural burial.

“There is a demand for natural burial, both locally and nationwide,” says Bayside Board President Mark Lee. “Word of mouth has already resulted in several lot sales and inquiries.”

Interest growing

Natural burial is an interment with only biodegradable materials. There is no embalming of the body and no burial vault. A casket is optional but must be made of compostables, but no metal.

The burial must occur soon after death. In winter, the client will incur more costs, but natural burial is still possible.

Lorelei Murdie, Bayside Cemetery sexton, has sold 10 green lots so far.

North Country funeral homes and green burial cemetery officials are educating the public and getting the needed inventory to cater to those who opt for  natural, or “green” burials.

“There has been a little interest in green burials previously, but have seen a few more inquiries since Bayside Cemetery has opened a ‘natural burial section,” according to Chad Green, Owner of Donaldson-Seymour Funeral Home.

Green says he has acquired some caskets and baskets suitable for natural burials, as the burial process should occur relatively soon after death.

Green Burial Costs

Green said the costs are slightly less than traditional burials, as some of the services are not needed. Green burial casket options are at the same price point as non-green burial caskets.

Cremation remains the cheapest option after death.

“One expense that would be higher could be cemetery charges; if a death were to occur during the winter months, there would be an increase in charges for snow/frost removal.

“A natural burial lot and grave opening costs the same as conventional burial at the cemetery; $1,000 for the plot and $1,000 for interment,” according to Bayside Cemetery Board of Trustees member John Omohundro. “Winter costs go up because of the need to plow and to break frozen ground.”

Smaller Imprint on Environment

“The interment is slightly less deep than a conventional vault interment, but the plot will be landscaped like those around it,” Omohundro said.

A monument is welcome and the group arranging the burial may organize and perform much of it or engage a funeral director, he added.

A natural burial has minimal impact on the environment and aids in the conservation of natural resources.

Omohundro said Bayside is a “hybrid” cemetery, meaning natural graves will be on the same landscape as conventional casket graves.

“The cemetery has both a riverside section and a wooded section of lots set aside and dedicated to natural burial,” he said.

Bayside has about 1,000 graves left in its conventional grounds. if demand dictates, they keep opening natural sections there.

“We’d also think seriously about opening up a dedicated area in our 40-acres of pine woods,” Omohundro said.

The cemetery is exploring the creation of a dedicated natural burial ground in the pine woods adjoining the cemetery. That section would be landscaped differently and could be eligible for a higher certification level from the national Green Burial Council.

The Green Burial Council is a national group that certifies cemeteries at three levels: hybrid, like ours; natural, where special ground is dedicated to natural and landscaped-- less like a lawn; and nature preserve, where no invasives, little mowing, and a wildlife-friendly environment is encouraged. It’s an endorsement of the self-claim like being on the National Register of Historic Places, which Bayside also is.

Anyone interested in a green burial can reach out to their funeral director of choice to discuss options either prior to death, and families would consult with them after death, Green said. 

He added that cemetery lots are most often purchased prior to death.

For more information about natural burial at Bayside Cemetery, email info@baysidepotsdam.org. The cemetery welcomes inquiries from anywhere in the region.