About Green Burial Massachusetts

Who We are and What We Do

Green Burial Massachusetts (GBM) is a statewide all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose guiding principle is to restore death to its rightful place in the cycle of life. Our mission is twofold:

  • to start the first green cemetery open to all in Massachusetts, and
  • to educate the public about green burial.

Massachusetts Conservation Cemetery
In 2019 we created a 501(c)(13) cemetery corporation in anticipation of purchasing land for a conservation cemetery. We follow up on leads, check maps, consult with our land trust partners, talk to realtors, and walk parcels in search of a piece of land that calls to us.

Education

  • We provide talks, workshops, webinars, and other educational programs about natural burial at public libraries, senior centers, green fairs, and other venues. Our presentations cover what green burial is, how it works, where it can be done, and more.
  • We periodically offer volunteer trainings, to give others the resources and confidence to speak to groups about green burial.
  • We educate municipalities and nonprofit organizations about natural burial.

Downloadable About Us .pdf

History

We’ve been doing education and advocacy work promoting green burials for 10 years. As of March 2016, we incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization for charitable, educational, scientific and literary purposes. This change puts us in a better position for receiving donations of both money and land. Co-founded by Carol Coan and Judith Lorei, Green Burial Massachusetts began as a committee of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts (FCAWM), and it has been generously supported by the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Eastern Massachusetts (FCAEM). Green Burial Massachusetts, Inc. is grateful for the foresight, commitment and continued work by both chapters of the Funeral Consumers Alliance to advance green burial.