Two Burial Sections—One for Now and One for Later
Two areas of the Cemetery are designated for burials. The first, in the southwest part of the Cemetery, is intended to meet community needs for the first 35 years. The second, in the north part of the Cemetery, will be used once the 35-Year Section has been filled. Over the coming 100 years, these areas will slowly return, one after the other, to their natural forested state. This ‘disturb and recover’ approach fits with the terms of the Conservation Covenant.
The 35-Year Section was cleared in 2013, removing all vegetation except the large stumps left when old-growth trees were cut down many years ago. Before it is used for burials, the land is being maintained free of brush, saplings, and fallen trees and branches. As the burial plots are filled, trees and other vegetation are allowed to regenerate naturally following the succession process of the ecosystem. In the 65-Year Section, the alders were left when work was done in 2013, but the other trees were removed in order to lessen the work required later on.
Click image to view full size
The Cemetery offers two kinds of burial plots: ‘standard plots’ and ‘family plots.’ A standard plot contains one grave, whereas a family plot may contain up to six adjacent graves, depending on the arrangements made when the burial rights are purchased. Each grave is intended for the remains of just one person, whether human remains or cremated remains. The Cemetery design provides for approximately 1000 graves, 20% of which are designated for family plots. The family plots are located in areas with wider aisles that accommodate repeated access later on for carrying out later burials. Although the impact of this recurring disturbance will slow the regeneration of these areas, this design feature—unique to the Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery—was included in response to comments from the community.