Higher Ground Conservation Burial

completed

Higher Ground Conservation Burial is the first conservation cemetery in Vermont, located on the Manitou grounds in Williamsville. It is distinguished by a stewardship relationship with the Vermont Land Trust, which holds a conservation easement on the land and has helped establish guidelines to protect the land forever using natural burial as the conservation strategy. The project involves no embalming, concrete vaults, or metal caskets, and aims to maintain the natural habitat with minimal disruption. The site includes 120 approved burial plots, with more than three-quarters reserved at the time of reporting. The project also includes plans for trails connecting the burial ground to surrounding conserved forest and wetlands.