Reflection Park is a non-profit, multi-faith, natural burial ground in Silver Spring, Maryland outside Washington, DC. Natural burial is the intentional process of returning the body to the earth in a way that is simple, beautiful, and environmentally sustainable. We return to the earth what came from the earth, and we keep out of the earth what harms or doesn’t belong in the earth. This means that we don’t use concrete vaults or liners, embalming, or metal caskets. We’re getting back to burial the way it used to be, which lets the body return to the earth unimpeded and give back to the living.
Natural burial also invites family and friends to participate in the burial process if they choose, which can offer a sense of meaning and a measure of closure.
Reflection Park is dedicated to the mission of restoring a healthier relationship with the natural cycle of life, death, and renewal to promote a more conscious and purposeful way of living. We are guided by 3 core principles: Harmony: we believe that the natural eco-cycle is the most responsible and sustainable way to care for the deceased; Equity: we believe that death unites us in our humanity and that everyone has the right to a dignified and affordable natural burial; and Care: we believe that tending to the deceased is a duty that honors the body’s role as a sacred vessel.
Learn more about their work: www.reflectionpark.org