The Forest Conservation Burial Ground of Southern Oregon

The Forest Conservation Burial Ground of Southern Oregon Conservation Burial Ground and Pet Cemetery at Willow-Witt Ranch. We provide a space to reconnect our experiences of life and death with land conservation.

Natural burials certified by the Green Burial Council. HOURS: DUSK TO DAWN. (8am - 5pm) The Forest Conservation Burial Ground is an Oregon dedicated natural burial ground. We offer whole body burial and cremated remains burial/scattering. We are located outside of Ashland, OR on the grounds of Willow-Witt Ranch in the lower Cascades. Our mission is to provide a place to reconnect our experience of

life and death with land conservation. The land selected for The Forest has mature conifers and oaks, native shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers. Burial sites overlook meadows and seasonal wetlands. Paths and trails wind through the cemetery. Green burials are a natural fit in this serene setting. Natural burial grounds are living landscapes, meant to be shared with the living.

The Fall 2026 OLLI course catalogue is out now, and registration is open! Alongside incredible courses in art, history, ...
08/18/2026

The Fall 2026 OLLI course catalogue is out now, and registration is open! Alongside incredible courses in art, history, movement, and personal development, you can find our class on natural burial, “The Greenest Way to Go,” in the Life Planning category!

The three session course will be held remotely (using Zoom), and end in a field trip visiting some of the natural burial options in the Rogue Valley. Attendees will learn what industry standards and environmental practices make “green” burial green, as well as what natural burials look like and entail. The course also covers prearrangement considerations, including Oregon’s legal requirements for making final disposition designations.

Learn more and sign up at the link in our bio!

08/13/2026

We invite friends and family to participate in burials. Anything from pallbearing and walking in the procession, to adorning the deceased or helping close the grave.

Many of our clients say that participating in this process is surprisingly healing; an unanticipated benefit of natural burial.

Before the mid-19th century, embalming was not a typical practice. Most Americans died at home and bodies were cared for...
08/04/2026

Before the mid-19th century, embalming was not a typical practice. Most Americans died at home and bodies were cared for by families. People were buried unpreserved, in churchyards or family plots.

When the Civil War saw hundreds of thousands of soldiers dying far from home, families wanted to bring loved ones home for burial but lack of sanitation, long distances, and lack of temperature control made that nearly impossible. Embalming was a response to a wartime crisis that has remained in use long after the crisis has ended.

The preservative effects of embalming only last a few weeks before dissipating, but the chemical effects last lifetimes. Runoff from makeshift Civil War embalming tents frequently leached into the surrounding soil. In some areas, traces of these 19th-century chemicals can still be found in the ground today.

The modern natural / green burial movement gained momentum in the 1990’s as individuals and service providers began considering their relationship to the earth and how their choices surrounding death affect the natural environment. It’s also a return to a simpler way of doing things.

Recalling visions of spring at the peak of summer here in the forest.
07/29/2026

Recalling visions of spring at the peak of summer here in the forest.

What happens in the time between death and a natural burial? Many assume that if embalming is not performed, services mu...
07/23/2026

What happens in the time between death and a natural burial? Many assume that if embalming is not performed, services must happen immediately.

Fortunately, that’s not true. We’ve got time.

Alternative methods of preservation, primarily cooling / refrigeration, are used to prolong the time between death and disposition. Many of our clients work with funeral homes to clean, prepare (shroud or casket), and keep their loved ones until the family is ready for a burial, allowing for a service that truly serves those left behind.

Do you have questions about this process, or need assistance arranging for final dispostion? We’re here to help!

Six feet under? Not always!With natural burial, the body is intered at a depth that promotes rapid, uninhibited, aerobic...
07/14/2026

Six feet under? Not always!

With natural burial, the body is intered at a depth that promotes rapid, uninhibited, aerobic decomposition. Burial at 3-4 feet rather than 5-6 feet places the body at a depth that allows oxygen flow, which in turn feeds bacteria, resulting in more rapid, efficient decomposition - Green Burial Council

Curious about the soil science or grave-digging process of natural burial? Contact us to ask questions or schedule a tour to see it all in action.

For many years, cremation was marketed as an “eco-friendly” disposition option. But is it?The 2+ hours of 1900° heat req...
07/09/2026

For many years, cremation was marketed as an “eco-friendly” disposition option. But is it?

The 2+ hours of 1900° heat required for cremation produces 534.6 pounds of carbon dioxide for every body disposed of. That means that every year in the US, cremations emit 360,000 TONS of carbon dioxide.

Other emissions include carbon monoxide, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, heavy metal and persistent organic pollutants.

If cremation is what you want, we support you! We bury and scatter cremated remains here at The Forest. But if you’re interested in making a final disposition choice based on environmental factors, maybe it’s time to look into natural burial.

Contact us to ask questions or learn more!

One frequently asked question is whether folks can be buried with their beloved pets. Yes, you can! Here at The Forest,...
07/07/2026

One frequently asked question is whether folks can be buried with their beloved pets. Yes, you can!

Here at The Forest, the cremated remains of your pets can be buried right along with you. Other folks decide to bury their pets in our dedicated pet cemetery, which is just a stone’s throw from the primary burial grounds.

Losing a pet is never easy, but for many, it helps knowing they’ll be surrounded by happy healthy wildlife and people enjoying the great outdoors forevermore.

When grief seems insurmountable, we turn to ritual. Ritual and ceremony create a container to engage body, mind, and sou...
07/02/2026

When grief seems insurmountable, we turn to ritual. Ritual and ceremony create a container to engage body, mind, and soul. They give us the opportunity to connect—with our dearly departed, our community, our ancestry and culture, and the natural cycles of life and death.

We invite families to create their own ceremonies, or to plan with an officiant or spiritual leader of your choice.

Not sure where to begin? Find some resources here:
✔️oregonfuneral.org
✔️ theinspiredfuneral.com
✔️’Ceremonies for Home Funerals’ by Donna Belk and Kateyanne Unullisi (even if you’re not planning on a home funeral).

06/30/2026

Our mission is to provide a space to reconnect experiences of life and death with land conservation.

We are achieving this by offering natural burial in reciprocity with a living landscape—cultivating vital connections between our community and the natural world.

Curious? Contemplative? Eager to learn more? Reach out to set up a phone call or schedule a tour. We’d love to tell you all about it.

Address

658 Shale City Road
Ashland, OR
97520

Telephone

+15416259697

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Forest Conservation Burial Ground of Southern Oregon posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category