Nature’s Sanctuary is our award-winning green burial area at Laurel Hill West. Establishing a powerful connection between people, nature and community, Nature’s Sanctuary is planted with indigenous grasses, trees, and shrubs and is currently maintained as a meadow transitioning into a successional forest. All graves are hand-dug for minimal environmental impact; no gas-powered equipment is used. Only biodegradable or environmentally friendly caskets, shrouds, and urns are allowed. Nature’s Sanctuary is a regenerative landscape that offers families a tranquil environment and connection to the earth.

Accolades:

• Certified by the Green Burial Council 
• SITES Gold Certified — the first cemetery to ever achieve SITES Gold status
• Selected for a Merit Award from the ASLA in the General Design Category
• Awarded the Bowman’s Hill Land Ethics Award for Best Large Scale Project

Valley View Green, the first green burial area at Laurel Hill East, is a peaceful quarter-acre of tall grasses and shrubs framing sweeping views of the cemetery’s historic monuments and expansive landscape. Valley View Green was created using repurposed materials, including a portion of the original fence that once surrounded Laurel Hill East. Only biodegradable or environmentally friendly caskets, shrouds, and urns are permitted in this section.

Bala Green, the newest green burial area at Laurel Hill, has been created to incorporate nature into perpetual care.

This half-acre section at Laurel Hill West, with views overlooking the Manayunk hills, was designed with sustainability and natural beauty in mind. A stunning memorial meadow with comfortable walking paths and benches, Bala Green functions as a peaceful resting place and native ecosystem benefiting a wide variety of wildlife. Other features include ten legacy tree lots and low monument walls of granite to hold the names of loved ones buried there.

If you’re interested in learning more or would like to discuss completing cemetery arrangements, please contact us by calling or emailing.

The Beauties & Benefits of Green Burial (March 2, 2023) on Vimeo.

Green burials are a way of reducing carbon footprints after death while still celebrating the life of a loved one. NBC10’s Matt Delucia has the story.