The (R)Evolution of Penn Forest: More than just Green Burials

Posted on October 11, 2012 by higherimages

As some of you may already know, Penn Forest is an enchanting green space. A hike around the property yields stunning views of lush canopy cover and ravines that unfold at Plum Creek, which surges around the forest. If you’re patient and quiet, you’ll likely see many species of birds, as well as deer, turkeys, ground hogs and foxes.

We manage thirty-two acres of this serene forest . As of right now, only 2.5 acres are allotted to burials. This leaves a whopping 29.5 acres free for other ventures! We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, literally, and we want your ideas!

Here are a few of our ideas for those 29.5 acres…

Wildlife refuge
Hiking trails, open to the public
Apiary (Beekeeping)
Community gardens
Picnic areas
Development of outdoor amphitheater for memorial services and cultural events (plays, poetry readings, music festivals, etc.)
Interpretive nature trails
Sculpture in the forest, or other art projects

We see this as a community initiative and your input is integral to making the most of what Penn Forest has to offer! Feel free to comment directly on this blog post for how to best utilize this space. Or if you prefer, email pete@pennforestcemetery.com with your comments and ideas.

A space like Penn Forest has the potential to be more than just a green cemetery. We believe the resting place for your loved ones needn’t only be a reminder of the dead, but a celebration of the living as well.

The Birds of Penn Forest

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Pete McQuillin

Jeff Giles, our friend and cemetery next-door neighbor, has gone above and beyond once more in creating “The Birds of Penn Forest” (we have mentioned previously for all of the help he has volunteered at Penn Forest).

Well, we caught up with Jeff a few weeks ago to ask him a few questions about the birds of Penn Forest project…

1. What inspired you to start this project?

I have been watching birds for most of my life. Because of this interest in birds, I bought a book from the Audubon Society so that I could learn more about these fascinating creatures. I can now recognize most birds by site and some even by sound.

As a part of the project, I have created a few visual displays that Penn Forest can use to show visitors.

2. How many birds have you catalogued?

Roughly between 35 and 40 birds. There were 34 or so on the project board, but I have spotted a few more since then.

3. What is the rarest bird that you’ve seen on the property?

The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the rarest birds I’ve seen. Before I moved here I had only seen one other in my life and that was out in Ligonier. These birds are not often seen in densely populated areas. Penn Forest does not have that much human activity, so I think they like it here. I once witnessed their mating dance and boy was that cool. They are very unusual birds.

There are Middle Eastern bluebirds are hanging out at Penn Forest too.

4. Do you think birds are drawn to Penn Forest? If so, why?

For one the lack of humans is a factor that draws some of the birds to Penn Forest. Another is the availability of water. Also, the various different kinds of trees and berries available at Penn Forest attract them. The trees provide insects and birds eat insects.

5. What else can you tell me about the birds of Penn Forest?

I witness all sorts of beauty when I’m sitting on my property at night. And one of my favorite things is that the robins know me and follow me around when I mow the grass! I love that.

Thanks Jeff Giles for being such a great friend and neighbor to Penn Forest!

Sharing The 2012 Penn Forest Picnic

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Pete McQuillin

Last month we hosted our annual picnic at Penn Forest. We welcomed over 90 people – friends and family – for food and fun at Penn Forest. And it was a lovely day! Below are a few of the pictures from the event. If you were at the picnic and have pictures you’d like to share, send them our way. We’ll add them to this post!

Penn Forest Photo Contest

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Pete McQuillin

Photo contest to be held annual picnic

On June 9, we will hold our second annual picnic and invite friends, family and special guests to celebrate our first full year in operation. When you visit Penn Forest, you will see a host of picturesque images to capture. So, we want to put your camera to good use!

Here’s what to do

Capture your favorite aspect of Penn Forest. Is it one of the many native species? Is it a buzzing bee on a flower? Is it meeting new friends? We want to see Penn Forest through your eyes!
Email your favorite photo to sarah@infinitimarketingsolutions.com by July 6, 2012 and we’ll upload one photo to our Picnic Photo Contest album on the Penn Forest Facebook Page.
Tell your friends and family to the photo on Facebook.

Determining the Winners

For each “like” on your photo, you will receive one point.
For every person you refer to our email newsletter, you will receive one point (the person has to list your name in the referred by section of the sign up process).
The entrant whose photo receives the most Points will win a Flip Ultra HD 4GB Video Camera!

Other Details

Voting on the pictures in the album on Facebook will begin on Monday, July 9 and end on Monday, July 16. Any ‘likes’ incurred after Monday, July 16 will not count as a point. During the same time frame, you can earn an additional point for every person that signs up for our email newsletter and lists you as the referrer.

Questions regarding the contest?

Contact Sarah Mayer, Penn Forest Marketing Consultant, at 412-225-2310 or via email at sarah@infinitimarketingsolutions.com.

Giving Thanks

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Pete McQuillin

Jeff Giles, our next door neighbor, tireless volunteer and dear friend, fixed up our previously ‘not in working order’ tractor and cart. He charged the battery, cleaned the carburetor and filled the tires. And I’m happy to say it now runs like brand new! We plan to use it for grass-cutting, hauling, even coffin transport as it has a five speed transmission and can go very slowly when needed.

Jeff has been a great friend to Penn Forest and we thank him for being so giving and helpful!

Watch and Learn More About Penn Forest

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Pete McQuillin

Please enjoy the first video about green burial at Penn Forest Natural Burial Park! The video shares the story of one family’s journey to green burial along with a great overview of Penn Forest.

We hope you enjoy the video and please share it with your friends and family. As always we welcome your comments and feedback!

Learn About Penn Forest Natural Burial Park

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Green Burial is the Way to Go

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Pete McQuillin

Green Burial is the way to go.

Nancy Chubb came up with that catchy slogan. We were so taken with it; we had it made into a bumper sticker. If you’d like one, just let me know by sending me an email at pete@pennforestcemetery.com.

But why is green burial the way to go?

Embalming is a brutal way to treat a body (See Mark Harris’ book, Grave Matters, Chapter 1 to see why). It deposits about 2 gallons of toxic formaldehyde into each body, which leaks out of the coffin and flows into our watersheds. (I learned last year that measurements taken outside a local cemetery revealed a steady stream of formaldehyde flowing out into the Monongahela River here in Pittsburgh).

Each year, 22,500 cemeteries across the United States bury approximately:

30 million board feet (70,000 m³) of hardwoods (caskets)
90,272 tons of steel (caskets)
14,000 tons of steel (vaults)
2,700 tons of copper and bronze (caskets)
1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete (vaults)

Green Burial is a Genuine Alternative

Conventional cemeteries have a large energy footprint used to mow lawns, trim shrubs and trees and the fertilizers they use pollute.

Green burial does away with most of these negatives. Coffins are biodegradable. The bodies decompose naturally and fertilize forest plants. No toxic embalming fluids are used. Concrete and steel burial vaults are barred.Cremation uses fissile fuels, pollutes the air and contributes to global warming.

But the real key is forest restoration. Forests provide evaporative cooling to fight global warming. They take pollution from the air. They help preserve threatened plants and animals. And they provide recreation for the public.

In addition to being an environment-friendly practice, the income from green burials can be used to pay for the costs of restoring the cemetery forest, which is what we’re doing at Penn Forest Natural Burial Park. So, yes, green burial is the way to go. What do you think?

If you’re not yet on our email list, click here: Join My Mailing List and make sure you add my email address (pete@penforestcemetery.com) to your address book, so our emails don’t go to your junk mail folder. If you are on the list, please forward our newsletters and emails to everyone you know and ask them to join too.

Thanks for your help.

Pete

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Funeral Directors Embrace Green Burial

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Pete McQuillin

Why some funeral directors are starting to embrace green burial

Today, the Cremation Association of North America announced that they are projecting that in 2010 more than 40% of deaths in North America will result in cremation. That’s up from 38% in 2008. In our area (Middle Atlantic) the percentage will be 36% in 2010, which is up from 34% in 2009. For families that represents a big savings over conventional cemetery burial. But for funeral homes it represents a big loss in income.

Primarily for this reason, many funeral homes are failing financially. Others are just getting by with their funeral directors foregoing maintenance and repairs of their facilities and taking on second jobs to pay their bills.

However, there is now a group of funeral directors who see green burial as a niche opportunity that they can go after to keep their businesses in the black and provide a needed new service to families. Actually, at least in our area, they see three niches:

First, recent surveys of green cemeteries have revealed that about 80% of families who chose green burial for a family member were originally going to opt for cremation, but they changed their minds when they learned about green burial—a more environment-friendly choice. Because of this, green oriented funeral homes are now making sure their cremation families are aware of green burial as an option. Often they weren’t aware of this choice, and decide it’s what they want for their loved one, even if it costs a bit more than cremation.
Second, because there are only a few green cemeteries, some people who want a green burial must find a cemetery a considerable distance from their homes. Penn Forest Natural Burial Park, for example, located in Pittsburgh, serves nearly all of Pennsylvania and is the closest green cemetery for large parts of Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Delaware. Hence, we will be having many burials that would not normally come to our area. Nearly all of those families will need a local Pittsburgh funeral home, and that is business that they would not get if Penn Forest wasn’t here and they weren’t certified by the Green Burial Council.
Finally, many families who elect green burial also want a home funeral. For this reason, several local funeral homes have decided to help families with this option too. Again, that’s business they wouldn’t get without green burial.

So we are finding that a small group of visionary funeral directors in our area have figured out that green burial can be a source of new business and not a threat to their existing business, and they have been eager to form relationships with us. So, we have compiled a list of these area funeral homes and we make it available to all our customers.

So I ask you, are these funeral directors on to something? Is green burial the wave of the future for the funeral home business?