Going back to nature

For people considering their end-of-life options, returning to the earth with minimal environmental impact is one alternative to a traditional burial.

Natural burials place an emphasis on allowing the body and burial materials to break down naturally, with fewer lasting impacts.

Mark Blackham, founder and director of Natural Burials NZ, has been at the forefront of the natural burial movement in New Zealand for decades. In 1999, Mark and his wife faced a decision no one ever wants to make: where to bury their newborn child.

The couple wanted their daughter’s final resting place to be in a peaceful environment surrounded by native bush, but rules at that time would not allow it. That experience spurred Blackham to help establish a natural burial movement in New Zealand, giving people more choice over how and where they are buried.

Since the first natural cemetery opened at Wellington’s Mākara Cemetery in 2008, around 22 natural cemeteries have been established around the country, including one at Whangārei’s Maunu Cemetery, where plots are set among existing native bush.

Natural burial generally involves restrictions designed to minimise environmental impact, although requirements can vary between cemeteries.

For natural burials, caskets must be made from untreated timber or bamboo, while lining materials must be made from natural fabrics. If a shroud is used, it must also be made from natural fabric, and the deceased must be carried on an untreated burial board.

Burial plots are generally dug to a depth of 800mm, allowing the casket to sit within an active layer of earth and break down faster. Bodies must also not be embalmed, as embalming fluids can contain chemicals such as formaldehyde that may enter the surrounding soil. In New Zealand, there is no legal requirement for a body to be embalmed.

Closer to home, Mangawhai Cemetery offers natural burial plots in a bush area separate from the traditional lawn cemetery. The land is owned by Kaipara District Council, but the cemetery’s day-to-day operations rely on volunteers from the Mangawhai Cemetery Trust (MCT).

MCT’s Eva Rapp says that although the cemetery has had only six natural burials since it began offering the option at the end of 2024, people becoming more interested in the natural burial movement.

“Some people prefer the natural environment over the more structured, traditional lawn cemetery. The bush area just gives people another option.”

Unlike traditional cemetery plots, natural burial plots at Mangawhai cannot be pre-purchased. People wanting a natural burial need to contact the local sexton or make arrangements through a funeral director who caters for natural burials.

There are no traditional headstones, but families may plant a native tree in recognition of their loved one.

For many natural burial advocates, having a natural burial is ultimately about giving people greater choice at the end of their lives, whether that means a traditional resting place or a simple return to the earth surrounded by nature.