Colorado Burial Preserve & Cremation Garden was designed to be a GBC-certified Natural Burial Grounds. This voluntary credential helps ensure a high standard of environmentalism in a market where some providers offer "green" solutions that don't go far enough to protect the planet from the conventional deathcare industrial complex. According to the Green Burial Council:
- The GBC makes sure that green burial means something. This is becoming increasingly important, given the pervasiveness of greenwashing when “green” offerings include items such as embalming fluid that contains toxic chemicals; caskets from manufacturers whose environmental claims are not backed up by material safety data sheets or life cycle analysis; and cemeteries offering green burial that won’t accept shrouds and require the use of burial vaults, inverted or otherwise.
The development process to become a Natural Burial Grounds revolves around an Environmental Impact Analysis, documenting the current ecosystem conditions, presence of protected or invasive species, and defining sensitive areas within the Preserve. These areas are protected from development in perpetuity. The EIA informs the management operations and cemetery activity within the Preserve- all products and policies must adhere to the goals of restoration of native habitat, protection of the watershed, and the establishment of a beautiful space for people and wildlife alike.
The burial areas themselves are also designed to be ecologically friendly. The grave spaces are extra large, so the orientation and placement of the interment can preserve any existing vegetation or features of interest. This style of less-dense burial helps protect the soil quality and minimizes disruption to the ecosystem, which means the new grasses and flowers will be able to get the most benefit from the natural processes subsequent to an interment. The rules for headstones allow personalization but preserve the wild aesthetic of this beautiful place.
