The Eternal Forest Trust - Our Objectives - Woodland Burials

^the Eternal Forest Trust ^ltd

Charity No. 1110801

Connecting the Cycles of Life

Our Objectives

All charities have to have objectives which have been approved by the Charity Commission, and everything the charity does must pertain to the fulfillment of these objectives. The Eternal Forest Trust has four registered Objects.

1. To promote for the benefit of the public the provision of woodlands as a public amenity.

This means that we shall provide safe public access to the woodland, and we are determined to make the woods accessible on foot to as many people as possible. So, paradoxically, the paths we construct will be designed to suit those who rely on wheels, such as wheelchair users and people pushing buggies. As time goes on, we hope to make more areas of natural woodland available and accessible to the public.

2. To advance the education of the public in the UK’s indigenous woodlands.

We will take every opportunity we can to spread information on the benefits of, and necessity for, natural woodland. We also plan to produce information about the plants and animals that live in our native woods, and how we can all work to support them, and we shall offer opportunities for school parties and other educational groups to learn about native trees and woodland.

3. The provision and maintenance of a green burial ground.

This objective says that the woodland managed by the Eternal Forest Trust has two crucial facets: first, it must be “green”; and second, that burials will take place there.

To us, “green” implies that the land should be managed in accordance with organic principles. We try to look after all the different life-forms in the woods, seeking to promote biodiversity and the abundance of life. We won’t use pesticides or herbicides, because these can kill a whole range of life-forms. And we try to avoid plastics and other products that are alien to our native woods.

Green burials are burials carried out according to these organic principles. Through green burial, the body becomes part of the wood itself, its material substance feeding into the life-cycles of the woodland.

Our woodland burial grounds will be nature reserves where the bereaved can experience the peace of the trees as they remember those they have lost. The graves will be unobtrusive, but they will be marked by stones or wooden memorials so that friends and relatives can find the burial place.

By being buried in this way, we can continue even after death to help preserve the wonder of life in all its diversity. It's never too late to contribute to the environment!

It is worth mentioning, at this point, that once donations exceed costs, our aim is to buy more land, to create further forest.

4. The relief of mental, physical and spiritual distress of people suffering from bereavement, particularly through the provision of dedicated facilities such as gates, bird nesting boxes or trees in memory of their loved ones.

We can dedicate space or objects in the Eternal Forest in celebration as well as in memoriam. Any special occasion can be celebrated by dedicating a particular tree or area of land, and in return for a donation, The Eternal Forest Trust will provide a certificate showing its precise location on the ground using GPS (global positioning satellites).