Death in a Living Forest
Herland Forest is different from most other cemeteries. And yes, while it is a place where the dead are laid to rest, it’s also a place where all the natural cycles of life play out. It’s a place where a … Continued
Honey Helps
Honey knew the human wasn’t well, but she did all she could to comfort her. Honey would climb onto the bed with Lois and cuddle, and was a wonderful companion during dark days. Lois was loved and cared for by … Continued
Best Place to be Buried
One of the delights of the Portland area is Willamette Week, an alternative newspaper that covers the city’s cultural resources. Currently, they’re doing a series on the best place in the Portland area to do all sort of things. We … Continued
Cemetery Babies
The Herland Forest natural burial cemetery is an exploration of the role of death in the circle of life. In winter, the separation between life and death can be very thin, but in spring, life returns with vigor; the tree … Continued
Direct Natural Burial
In order to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the governors of Washington and Oregon have issued orders forbidding public gatherings; those orders include funerals. One result will be that in the days ahead, people will be choosing between … Continued
A Good Death
Our dear friend Elaine Clark has invited us to be part of the natural death program that she’s put together at her church in Seattle in late March. Elaine and her husband James are Guardians of Herland Forest, and Elaine’s … Continued
Why We Do This
There are many reasons why the Windward crew decided to dedicate part of our land to become a natural burial cemetery. It took more than a decade to gain the legal permissions, to make the improvements that the county required, … Continued
Snow Tracks
tracks in the snow show who’s active in winter
Why Goats?
Creating a sustainable natural burial cemetery involves weaving lots of threads together, some of which are fairly obvious, but some threads need a bit of explanation. Goats are a good example. The primary permaculture role our goats play involves converting … Continued
Prelude to Winter
Herland Forest lies under the jet stream, right where it comes in from its journey across the Pacific. That’s the atmospheric effect that gives the Pacific Northwest the steady rain and moderate temperatures that it’s famous for. Located on the … Continued
Towards the One
The following is from Debora’s obituary. Debora (Basira) Goldstein died of pancreatic cancer on September 20, 2019. She was born September 3, 1950 in Chicago, the eldest of three children of Marie (Martz) and Albert Goldstein. The family moved to … Continued
Undertaking: the podcast
Click on the image to hear the podcast. We just got back from DeathCon, the annual gathering of cemeteries, crematoriums and funeral directors working in Oregon and Washington. It was a fascinating opportunity to connect with other people doing this … Continued
2 Hearts 2 Gether 4 Ever
When the Franks contacted us, they asked the intriguing question of whether it would be possible for them to be buried shoulder to shoulder? The sentiment was something we understood and appreciated, and since Herland Forest does not use concrete … Continued