Suffern Free Library to Host "Dying Green" Educational Event on Natural Burial Options

The Suffern Free Library will be hosting an educational presentation on the various eco-friendly options people have when they pass away. “Dying Green” will include a film presentation and discussion, and is being held at 7:00pm on Wednesday October 7th, 2015, in the large room at the library. The event is free and open to the public.

Suffern resident Kerry Potter, the creator of the Rockland Community Foundation’s Green Cemetery Fund and the host of “Dying to Bloom,” a radio program heard regionally on WRCR AM 1700, will be leading the presentation. Potter has been an outspoken supporter of green alternatives to the more common modern practice of, for example, using chemicals for embalming corpses. Potter also encourages the use of natural materials for caskets and grave markers, and is hoping to one day establish an environmentally-friendly cemetery in Rockland County.

“Green cemeteries offer ecologically-sound burial options and a natural return to Earth. Each burial supports restoration and preservation of pristine, undeveloped open space,” Potter said. “Wildlife can continue to utilize green cemeteries as their natural habitats and Rocklanders can enjoy green cemeteries as open trails for walking or hiking, contributing to their overall better health and a longer life.”

The goal of natural burial practices is to respect both the deceased and the land, leaving both as undisturbed and as natural as possible.

The Green Cemetery Fund is in the Rockland Community Foundation’s diverse portfolio of funds that are working to make a difference in the lives of people throughout Rockland County. The Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for all people in Rockland County by encouraging charitable giving. To learn more about the Green Cemetery Fund, the Foundation and its programs, visit http://www.rocklandgives.org.

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