Growing Bluestem
Bluestem is a community-supported project made possible through countless volunteer hours and generous donations from committed individuals and one local foundation. We’re proud of our grassroots origins – and we have so much more to build.   
 
Our near-term fundraising goals include infrastructure improvements, ongoing green burial education and outreach, information kiosks and signage, and continual invasive removal and native species reintroduction for enhanced wildlife habitat.  
 
You can help us achieve these goals. Click below to donate. Thank you!   
All gifts are tax deductible and support the care of the land and Bluestem Community -- individuals at rest, their families and friends, our partners and volunteers.   

Fundraising Opportunities 

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Bluestem barn in 2021
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New bench seating in 2024
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Grassland gravesite seeded with native species
 BLUESTEM BARN ​
The barn often serves as the first stop on visitors' walks at Bluestem. Maps, natural burial and community information are all posted on the barn wall. New barn posts and bench seating were part of our restoration work this past summer, and we have even more exciting improvements to make in 2025!  Our Wing of the Barn fundraising campaign was launched this fall, by our Council of Stewards, for many layered reasons: to provide more flexible space for visitors with mobility concerns, to expand our covered space options for burial services and community events, and to support incoming solar power units. Curious? Contact us for more information or make a gift today in honor of your favorite resident, volunteer, or pet!  
​NATIVE SPECIES REINTRODUCTION
In a conservation cemetery, even the gravesites support the return of native plants to the habitat. At every burial service in the grasslands, after the grave is closed, family members scatter native wildflower seeds over the disturbed areas. Donations help us purchase these seeds from reputable native seed sources. On a larger scale, your gifts enable us to buy plants for other habitat areas. Recently, we reintroduced Little Bluestem, Joe-Pye weed, Prairie Dropseed, Monarda, and Ironweed onto gravesites. Donations in the memory of loved ones are directed to Bluestem's Grassland and Woodland Restoration program.

Bluestem Wish List   

Meeting our green burial and land conservation goals keeps us busy. Donations from individual and organizational donors help us purchase vital items on our wish list. Contact us to discuss options.
EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES
Ropes, boards and hand tools                        
Office supplies and computer equipment
Milwaukee-brand batteries and battery-operated power tools
Handsaws, rakes, pruning shears and shovels 
One wheelbarrow  
One 4WD utility vehicle 
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SERVICES
Landscaping support 
Design and mapping support
Plant inventory 
Spanish-language translation
Prescribed fire training and oversight
SITE IMPROVEMENTS
Land management equipment
​Small covered shelters 
Small building annex for staff
Equipment shelters
A covered shelter in the interior
​Locally sourced cedar
Native grass and wildflower seeds and plugs 
Perennial bulbs, shrubs and trees

What Donors Like You Make Possible  

Eartha the Excavator   
In Fall 2022, a dedicated Bluestem supporter inspired a fundraising challenge for the purchase of an excavator, one of our most important pieces of equipment. In two months, donors gave to the Gratitude Challenge and raised enough to cover the cost. Working with “Eartha”, as we call her, gives us the flexibility to enhance Bluestem's water protection measures and forest restoration, create more pathways and trails, and prepare natural graves.Thank you to everyone who helped bring Eartha to Bluestem! 

Our Revitalized Barn
Bluestem's 100-year-old barn was stabilized and renovated in mid-2024 thanks to generous supporters who funded the work. New footings strengthened the cedar posts and improved gutters redirect stormwater away from the structure. The new retaining wall reduces erosion and serves as a bench for barn gatherings and environmental education opportunities.
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Walter the dog sharing the limelight with Eartha
Other Ways To Help Build Bluestem 
Sharing Bluestem with your friends, family, colleagues, and communities is a great way to support green burial in our region.
We are inspired by the many messages in our inboxes, and new relationships that are growing from this important community space. Thank you. 
Header photo courtesy of Courtney Reid-Eaton.