Natural Burials

At Mount Auburn Cemetery’s founding in 1831, all burials were natural burials. In 2014, Mount Auburn returned to offering this most traditional form of burial as an important part of our long-standing commitment to the environmentally sensitive stewardship of this unique and special landscape.

Mount Auburn’s founders understood nature’s ability to provide comfort and consolation in the face of deep loss and grief, and had a vision of Mount Auburn as a place where nature and the end of life would be inextricably linked. Jacob Bigelow, one of our founders, wrote eloquently about death as part of nature’s eternal cycles:

Today, we are no less keenly aware of the connections between ourselves and the natural world, from nature’s power to affect our emotions to the interconnectedness of all living things, even beyond life itself. Sustainability is a key part of Mount Auburn’s mission and vision, carrying through all our operations, and our natural burial program is an important expression of this.

Some people choose natural burial for environmental reasons. Some choose it for religious, spiritual, or philosophical reasons. Still others choose it because they would like the simplest burial possible. Whatever your reason, Mount Auburn is pleased to offer natural burial graves in one of the country’s most iconic and celebrated landscapes.

Mount Auburn defines natural burial as the burial of a body that has not been embalmed and is buried in a biodegradable container, with no vault or grave liner. The biodegradable container might be as simple as a shroud with a supporting wooden platform, or might be a plain pine casket.

Most of our single natural burial graves can accommodate two people. The first person is interred at a depth of six feet, and the second at a depth of four feet. A layer of decay-resistant organic material such as cedar boughs, or in some cases a layer of sand, is placed in the grave after the first interment to provide a visual cue to prevent disturbing the first interment at the time of the second. If only one body will be buried in the grave, it will be at a depth of four feet.

It is not unusual for people purchasing together to have different burial wishes; our natural burial graves can accommodate up to two cremation burials if only one body is buried in the grave. People who would prefer to be buried side-by-side will need to purchase two graves, or a larger grave designated for side-by-side burials.

Natural burial graves may be purchased pre-need as part of your general end-of-life planning, or at the time when a grave is needed. As with any type of burial, we advise making plans in advance whenever possible. This will ensure your wishes are met, and that you are able to choose the location that is right for you.

In keeping with natural burial’s spirit of sustainability, most natural burial graves are unmarked, with a metal number plate or disk in the ground to identify the location but no personal memorialization at the grave itself, seamlessly becoming part of our historic landscape. In locations where Mount Auburn has determined that a monument could be sympathetically blended into the surrounding environment, a group of natural burial graves may share a monument, with the names of those buried nearby inscribed in a list on that monument. A limited number of natural burial graves allowing flush markers or upright monuments may be available at any given time. All graves are mapped and recorded regardless of memorialization, and may be found using Find a Grave on our website or by asking at our Visitor Center.

Memorial tree plaques can provide a meaningful way to commemorate a person interred in an unmarked grave. Some people choose a memorial tree in the immediate area of the grave, while others might choose a tree near a favorite spot in our landscape. Whether the tree of choice is a majestic towering canopy tree like an oak or a maple or a delicate flowering ornamental tree like a dogwood or a cherry, its vitality will be a fitting testimony to the memory of a loved one.

Memorial tree plaques may be placed on nearly any tree in the Cemetery. The six inch by four inch metal plaques bear the tree’s name, date planted, and origin, along with the name of the person being remembered, their dates, and a short line of epitaph if you choose. Tree plaques are offered in ten-year terms, which may be renewed at the end of each term.