Natural cemetery promises 'regeneration'

ROSS GIBLIN/The Dominion Post

GREENIE GRAVES: The first natural cemetery in New Zealand has been officially opened at Makara, to the satisfaction of Mark Blackham, who campaigned for its creation.

Relevant offers

The first natural cemetery in New Zealand has been officially opened at Makara, to the satisfaction of the man who campaigned for its creation.

The cemetery was added to Makara Cemetery after campaigning from Mark Blackham, founder of Natural Burials, and support from Wellington City Council.

It was opened yesterday by Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast . Mr Blackham and his wife, Sola Freeman, took their four children to the grave of Ian John Jones, who in May became the first to receive a natural burial.

In such a burial, the body is placed in a biodegradable casket without being embalmed. Buried one metre below the surface, the body breaks down within a few years.

Native trees will grow from each grave, hopefully creating a forest.

Mr Blackham said the idea followed the death of the couple's first-born daughter, Ceiten May, at 22 months.

They had wanted somewhere soft and warm for a burial where they could plant a tree and have a picnic, but there was no natural option when she died in 1999.

"Many people find the idea of being buried in an area that will be covered in native bush, a fitting memorial to their lives and see it as a legacy for future generations."

City councillor Ngaire Best said the new cemetery offered people an environmentally sustainable option.

"Natural burials are an opportunity to contribute to the regeneration of an area."

- © Fairfax NZ News