Yes! We are officially certified by the Green Burial Council, which is the international certifying body for green burials. We meet and exceed all of their requirements, and you can find us listed as a certified provider on their website.

Please call or email us. Our staff will meet with you to select your plot, go through the paperwork, and answer and questions you may have. You may purchase multiple plots at once. Please note, your "purchase" of a lot is actually a lease until the date February 1, 2121. Once the date February 1, 2121 passes, this land could be dedicated as a public park. Please call or email us to set up a time to meet and discuss your needs.

We have a dedicated Community Relations director who will meet with you to pick a plot. Please call or email us to set up a time to visit with them. We can meet you at Solas, at your home, or at our small office in downtown Middleton.

Absolutely. We recommend you arrange with your funeral director to pick up the body and transport it for burial. We strictly prohibit embalming in our preserve, but funeral directors offer many services like transportation of the body, dressing, and storage that do not involve embalming. We have worked with most of the funeral homes in Dane County and will work with whoever you select.

4-6 pallbearers are required for full body internments. We do not have enough full time staff to transport or lift a body or burial container ourselves. We recommend asking 4-6 friends and family to be present for moving the container. They will be instructed at the burial on how to lift the container and carry it to the gravesite to rest on the lowering device, typically about 20 feet. We will not operate the lowering device or fill the grave until all attendees have departed the property for safety reasons. Our staff will walk you through the paperwork required by WI law and assist you in answering questions.

We have two onsite bathrooms, electrical outlets, multiple picnic tables, and two coolers. Handicap parking is available. We will provide ice, water bottles, and a bouquet of fresh cut flowers for a small fee. We typically have a variety of potted plants around the Celebration Pavilion for decoration. You are welcome to bring other decorations, equipment for music or speakers, and food/beverages as long as all items are removed from the property at the end of your service.

No. Embalming is strictly prohibited. Embalming is unnecessary and involves the use of toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, which creates pollution in our soils and causes high cancer rates in embalmers. Alternatives such as refrigeration are available at many funeral homes if you are not able to bury the deceased immediately after passing.

No. We are not a funeral home or mortuary. In the state of Wisconsin, it is illegal for funeral homes and cemeteries to be owned by the same group. Therefore, we are not able to offer funeral services that a funeral home/mortuary can, and vice versa. You may contract with a funeral home to provide services such as transportation of the body or refrigerated storage before the burial, but please remember embalming is strictly prohibited.

Traditional headstones are prohibited in our preserve. You may order a small, flat headstone through us that lists the name and birth/death date of the deceased. We also offer the option to choose from our list of native plants, trees, and flowers and we will provide your selection to plant during burial.

We recognize that not everyone is physically able or interested in digging the burial site themselves. We have an on-site electric excavator and prepare and close the site for you for a fee. Please note: for ALL full body internments, you must have 4-6 pallbearers able to lift and carry the body in its burial container from the vehicle to the gravesite. Typically about 20 feet. We require 48 hours notice for burials in order to have enough time to dig. If you are interested in digging yourself, please call us to discuss your options as it typically takes 2-3 people about 6 hours minimum to dig. We do have shovels on site for use.

Conventional treated wood or metal caskets are prohibited. We offer simple, untreated pine and walnut caskets that are handcrafted by Trappist Monks with wood harvested from forests in Des Moines, Iowa and meet the standards of the Green Burial Council. We also offer biers, which are handcrafted in the same manner by Trappist Monks, and are an even more simplified container, like a casket without a lid. A sheet or similar cover over the body is required to be used with all biers.

The simpler the better. We ask that you opt for natural fabrics like cotton or linen. Please avoid plastics and large amounts of metal. The goal is to "leave no trace" and avoid unnatural materials.

No. The materials and energy involved in removing these artificial joints/objects creates much more pollution and waste than leaving them in. We do ask that you remove pacemakers, as they can be recycled and reused. (The removal process can be completed by a doctor or mortician. Please contact your pacemaker provider for more information.)

Only if they are biodegradable. Please refrain from placing any unnatural items such as metals, plastics, etc. in the burial site.

Yes! Soil is the best natural filter there is, binding organic compounds and making them unable to travel. Microorganisms in the soil break down any chemical compounds that remain in the body. We lose more toxic chemicals during a day of living than a whole body will decomposing. Additionally, embalming does not remove toxins from anywhere in the body except the fluids that are removed during the process.

There is no such thing as a "sealed" casket, in fact, it is illegal to call a casket sealed in the United States because it simply is not possible! Every single casket decomposes, but the rate of decomposition depends on the materials used. Every casket will break down eventually, and water, soil, dirt, microorganisms, etc. will enter the casket, and the body will completely decompose as well. Using a metal or treated wood casket simply prolongs the decomposition rate, while leaching toxins like arsenic into the surrounding soils.

Absolutely! You can purchase a plot today, even if you don't think you will need it for decades.

In order to be buried next to someone, you must purchase multiple plots at a time. We can not guarantee that plots will be available next to a previously purchased plot unless they are purchased at the same time.

Yes! If a Veteran purchases a designated space in our "Veteran" section, they may purchase additional surrounding plots for their family. You must purchase these plots all together at the same time.

Yes. You may purchase a burial plot in our preserve to bury cremated remains. Remains must be buried in a biodegradable urn (we offer a variety of options) and all plastic must be removed. We strictly prohibit the scattering of ashes anywhere on our property as it is hazardous to wildlife and the environment. Cremated remains consist of calcium phosphate and sodium and are heavy, apt to smother foliage on the surface. Underground cremated remains create what is essentially a nutrient-deficient salt lick that has no environmental benefits.

Cremation results in toxic emissions including persistent pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs/DFs), co-planar polychlorinated biphenyls (co-PCBs), and heavy metals. Many of these toxins can bioaccumulate in humans, including mercury. Cremation causes release of mercury (often from dental amalgams, but also from general bioaccumulation in the body) into the environment both in areas close to the source and into the atmosphere. Cremation also requires a significant amount of fuel, and results in millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year. There are concerns for crematory workers as well, who may be exposed to nuclear medicine treatments (chemotherapeutics/radiation), orthopedic (implants) and pacemaker explosions, and nanoparticles. Emission concentrations of harmful air pollutants from cremators can be affected by several factors, including fuel type, cremator type, flue gas post-treatment system, filters, dust collectors, and operational maintenance. Environmental regulations requiring scrubbing and filtering systems help to burn and neutralize pollutants like the mercury emissions, particulate matter, and nitrous oxide, however, these filters fail to neutralize the carbon dioxide generated during cremation. Natural burial produces zero chemicals and pollutants and is a much "greener" alternative to traditional burial.

No. Human composting, also known as natural organic reduction, is not legal in Wisconsin, it is only legal in 14/50 US States. Human composting involves placing the body in a steel container and using heat and oxygen to speed the decomposition process. Unlike human composting, green burial does not use heat or require an enclosed, climate-controlled building, making it the best option for the environment.

As part of the requirements to become a certified Natural Burial Cemetery by the Green Burial Council, we are required to establish and maintain a fund that provides for the maintenance of the site. When you buy a plot, your site maintenance fee will go separately towards maintaining and preserving the land for years to come.

No. We strictly prohibit vehicle use on any of our paths as it could damage a gravesite. Please park in the parking lot and walk to your site. The only exceptions are for delivery of the body and burial container directly to the site at the time of burial, and for those needing handicap accessibility to the site for the burial service. You may drive on the gravel path up to the gravesite for handicap accessibility for your service. Please use extreme caution so as not to drive off the path at any time or damage any surrounding plant life.