For centuries, burial grounds existed with shallow graves of simple coffins or shrouds with small stone or wooden markers. There were no chemical embalming, varnished caskets, or concrete vaults. Natural or ‘green burial’ is a return to those traditions that provide a simple, less wasteful, and non-toxic way to send one’s body back to the earth with dignity and with minimal environmental impact. Serenity Ridge Natural Burial Cemetery is the only exclusively natural burial cemetery in Maryland. Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint, while protecting and preserving the local habitat. We will walk out to Inspiration Point, about half a mile, and back. After our cemetery presentation, we’ll continue our exploration of this natural area with a birding hike with Frank Marenghi from the Baltimore Bird Club. We expect to see warblers and sparrows on this one-hour birding hike on gravel and mown grass trails. The grounds are open meadows with trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, with the entire property surrounded by an 80-acre forest.
Visit the Serenity Ridge website for more specific information on their practices, https://www.serenityridgemd.com/green-burial/.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate (low-intensity hiking)
Remember to
- Dress according to the weather. Layers with non-cotton clothing work best. For sunny days, a hat with a brim may be needed.
- Wear sturdy closed-toe hiking boots or sneakers with non-slip soles for large gravel.
- Bring water, snacks, sunblock, bug spray, and for your camera, an extra battery, extra memory card, and lens-cleaning cloth.
- Bring binoculars. There will be a couple of binoculars to borrow.
- No pets, please.
SPACES ARE LIMITED — The tour should take approximately two and a half hours to complete. The exact meeting space will be provided when registration and payment are complete.
Cancellation Policy: NHSM Field Experiences – Cancellations made seven or more days in advance of the field experience will receive a refund (minus a $5 processing fee). Cancellations made within the week of the event will not receive a refund but can be transferred to a friend.
For questions, please email Jayne at JAsh@marylandnature.org.
