As a neurodivergent person I am always connecting dots in new ways.
A little background:
About 15 years ago, I began exploring and writing about an idea for creating Conservation Burial Reserves to help expand protected areas. I challenge traditional thinking about what a cemetery looks like.
Green burials have been around for awhile, but do they help expand protected areas? How do they contribute to green infrastructure? Can they be used to acquire property for conservation purposes?
In Ontario there is no minimum number of people required to be buried in a space regulated as a cemetery.
In a traditional cemetery, approximately 2,500 people can be interred on a single hectare. In a Conservation Burial, it may only take 20 interments to purchase that hectare depending on the value of the land.
The idea of a Conservation Burial Reserve is to balance out the cost of acquisition with the fees paid for interment and ongoing maintenance. But what if the maintenance was to let the property persist in a natural state?
What if interments were marked by GPS or surveyors steel benchmark? Then it could look like a forest. A place of interment that preserves ecological integrity and offers outdoor recreation opportunities.
At 8.3 deaths per 1,000 people in Canada, roughly $2 Billion is spent on interment annually. A single plot in Toronto's Mount Pleasant Cemetery can cost approximately $15,000-$25,000, while a spot outside the city might cost only a few thousand dollars (2017). Under a proposed alternative for Conservation Burial Reserves this could translate into significant opportunities for enriching biodiversity and outdoor recreation.
So I wrote a professor at the University of British Columbia and over time, a talented team formed that includes several experts in a variety of related fields. The team is growing and people are getting more interested in it.
Here are a few benefits to consider:
• Conservation: expands philanthropic reach and transforms part of an existing industry protecting migratory routes; preserving and enhancing biodiversity; addressing climate change and resilience.
• Saves Money – Competitively priced; tax friendly (donation); low maintenance cost.
o Reduced PIL (payments in lieu of taxes) for new acquisitions.
o Insurance premiums could in effect be a tax deduction.
• It Connects and Empowers. It crosses cultures, races and religions and it will cross classes from the homeless to the wealthy.
• It Celebrates Life - The protected area is dedicated to the donor(s). Acquisitions could be named by a significant donor ie: “The Smith Reserve”.
• Water Protection through purchase of shoreline; increasing resilience from natural disasters (erosion control). No herbicides, fertilizers or embalming chemicals that could leach down into the water table.
• Low ongoing Carbon Footprint compared to traditional cemeteries - no lawn mowing; no fertilizers, pesticides little maintenance. Just recreation trail mainteance.
• More Recreational Space - hiking trails; cross-country skiing; mountain bicycling; nature viewing; yoga and meditation space; outdoor classrooms. Increasing accessibility to nature that is closer to urban areas ie: adjacent to schools
• Natural Health Care – Forest recreation is the unaccredited extension of health care. Studies have proven many health benefits from spending time in a forest including the reduction of blood pressure, anxiety and other mental health disorders such as attention deficit disorder. "Forest Bathing" has even become part of some benefit packages in Japan as it has proven to reduce absenteeism, sickness and increase productivity.
• Partnership Friendly - Stakeholders with land protection in their mandate will be able to realize a savings in costs while expediting the acquisitions. Land stakeholders could partner with clubs, schools and workplaces for joint campaigns.
• Planning and Strategy – There has never been a better time to consider collaboration to address green space and pedestrian access to naturalized areas. As the baby boomer population begins to expire at a time where climate change and biodiversity are top of mind, there is an imminent opportunity to position this intersection to everyone’s advantage.
Today:
Many of you may know a PhD student with an affinity for the subject matter and are considering their next step. Please share this opportunity. You can also see this ad online: https://lnkd.in/d8QJ_9fP or on LinkedIn. We hope to find someone stellar to join us!
In the mean time if you want to learn more, here is a seminar on the idea lead by members of the team.
Thank you for your support.
John
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