Natural Burial at Bluestem

Thank you for your interest. Staff continue to refine our educational materials to help you with your decisions.
If you have any questions you can't find the answers to, please email [email protected].  
Natural burial* at Bluestem is simple, personal and light on the earth. It occurs without embalming, without metal or steel caskets, and without concrete vaults. Individuals are returned directly into the earth using biodegradable materials such as a plain wooden casket or cloth shroud. Ashes are removed from urns, amended with a soil solution, and poured or placed into the grave. 

Natural burial at Bluestem is nothing new. It simply reclaims traditions of old and provides families and friends with a personal, physical, and potentially spiritual experience, of saying farewell. Bluestem staff and volunteers attend to the sacred on this land, caring for it, for the wildlife, and for the people who choose it to reconnect with place. 

If you are just beginning your journey in learning about natural burial, download our Burial Guide at the link above, and come out to visit Bluestem! 

How It Works 

Planning for a natural burial requires a number of decisions. Bluestem staff help with: 
Planning documents 
Connecting with death care providers 
Showcasing biodegradable burial containers
Reserving burial rights in the cemetery
Scheduling burial services and interments 
Preparing burial sites and digging graves
Supporting families on the day of service 

Individuals and families take care of the logistics:     
Planning for the loved one's after death care  
Engaging a funeral home, home funeral guide, or a community of friends
Filing for a death certificate
Arranging for a casket or shroud 
Arranging for transportation to Bluestem 
Scheduling the burial service with Bluestem staff 

​Bluestem encourages families to participate in the burial process as much or as little as they like. Naturally, this place inspires family and friends to participate in saying farewell --  the sound of the birds, the feel of the wind, the smell of the earth, each bend into each shovel full of dirt, imprints an unforgettable farewell. 

Ready to Get Started?

Pet Burial 

Pets can be buried at Bluestem in the reserved burial plots of their people. Every being buried at Bluestem pays a burial right and burial fees. Pet burials have a range of prices and must be arranged with staff. For more information about fees see Burial Costs.

We do not currently have a pet cemetery, although we have selected an area for it and are currently fundraising to realize it. Donations to the pet cemetery can be made here.