The Forest Conservation Burial Ground of Southern Oregon

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Ashland, OR
The Forest Conservation Burial Ground of Southern Oregon

HOURS: DUSK TO DAWN. (8am - 5pm)
The Forest Conservation Burial Ground at Willow-Witt Ranch. We offer whole body burial and cremated remains burial/scattering.

The Forest Conservation Burial Ground is an Oregon dedicated natural burial ground. We are located outside of Ashland, OR on the grounds of Willow-Witt Ranch in the lower Cascades. Our mission is to provide a place to reconnect our experience of life and death with land conservation. The land selected for The Forest has mature conifers and oaks, native shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers. Burial site

s overlook meadows and seasonal wetlands. Paths and trails wind through the cemetery. Green burials are a natural fit in this serene setting. Natural burial grounds are living landscapes, meant to be shared with the living.

07/31/2025

🌲🐾 Honoring Luna 🐾🌲

This week, we said goodbye to Luna, our beloved Maremma guardian dog. Born at the ranch 13 years ago, Luna spent her life watching over this land and all who visited it—goats, chickens, children, and campers alike.

Fierce and gentle, quiet and wise, she was a constant presence on the ranch—always watching, always near. On Sunday, Luna passed peacefully, and today we lay her to rest in the pet cemetery by Guardian Rock, where all the ranch dogs before her have been buried.

She returns now to the forest she so loyally protected—a place she loved, and that loved her back.

Run free, Luna. You will always be part of this land. 💚

07/30/2025

We're Hiring an Assistant Cemetery Manager! Consider joining our team and spread the word. This is a very unique and rare opportunity.

Apply today!

https://theforestconservationburial.org/about/join-our-team/

07/28/2025

🍁 Fall Equinox at The Forest 🍁

As summer fades and the light begins to soften, we invite you to gather with us on the land — to honor the turning of the seasons and the quiet beauty of transition.

Join us for an afternoon of reflection, community, and connection beneath the trees of The Forest Conservation Burial Ground. Whether you’re drawn by curiosity, reverence, or simply a desire to be still with the rhythms of nature, this is a time to pause and listen.

🌿 2:00 PM — Guided Tour of The Forest Conservation Burial Ground
(Registration required – sign up on website under events)

🍂 3:00 PM — Fall Equinox Celebration
(No registration required – open to all)

Let’s walk gently into autumn together.

📧 Questions?
info@theforestconservationburial.org
📞 (541) 625-9697

07/24/2025

How do we honor our beloved pets when they pass?
Did you know that The Forest Conservation Burial Ground also includes a Pet Cemetery—a gentle, natural place to lay your animal companion to rest?

Nestled in the quiet woodlands of Willow-Witt Ranch near Ashland, this sacred space allows for the burial of pets in a way that is kind to the earth and full of meaning.

🐾 Whether you’re choosing a natural burial or laying cremated remains to rest, the Forest Pet Cemetery invites your pet to return to the soil with grace, surrounded by forest, birdsong, wildflowers, and peace.

Here, each animal becomes part of the land’s restoration—no embalming, no concrete, no toxins. Just love, and a return to the natural cycles of life.

🌱 You are welcome to visit, reflect, and remember.
The cemetery is open to the public for walks, picnics, or simply moments of stillness.

💚 To learn more about pet burial options or to schedule a visit, reach out to us at The Forest Conservation Burial Ground.

Because they were family. Because they gave you everything. Because love deserves a resting place rooted in nature.

07/22/2025

Congratulations Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery! We join you in celebrating all of the wonderful work that you do!

07/15/2025

“Where the dust of ancient bones has spread a dryness over all,
Lay me in some leafy loam…
Little seeds investigate,
And tender leaves unfold…”
— from “Woodland Burial” (Anonymous)

At The Forest Conservation Burial Ground, we offer a gentle return to the earth.

Green burial invites the body back into the web of life—unembalmed, unboxed, and held by forest, soil, and sky.

🌱 Learn more at theforestconservationburial.org

🕊️

07/09/2025

At The Forest Conservation Burial Ground, we return to the earth with care and intention.

After a natural burial, we place the layers of soil back in the order we gently removed them. Native plants are returned to their home, and we complete the ritual by laying pine boughs—fragrant, evergreen, and tenderly placed—as a final blanket of love.

A single rose rests on this grave, honoring a life lived and a spirit now woven back into the forest.

Here, death is not an end, but a return. A renewal. A reverent gesture to the land and the cycle that holds us all.

🌲 theforestconservationburialground.org

07/08/2025

✅ Big win for Oregon funeral professionals!
Oregon House Bill 3127 has officially been signed into law by Governor Tina Kotek. Starting January 1, 2026, all medical certification of death records will be required through the OVERS system (Oregon Vital Events Registration System).

This long-awaited update will help ensure faster, more accurate death certificates for families and strengthen Oregon’s public health data.

A huge thank you to the many funeral directors, staff, and legislators who advocated for this bill—your voices made a difference.

We’ll continue working closely with the OVERS team as the rollout approaches.

07/03/2025

🔥 Crematory Temperature Standards Update in Oregon 🔥

Big news from the Oregon legislature: House Bill 3729 has officially passed, allowing crematories to operate at 1600 degrees Fahrenheit—a meaningful change that aligns Oregon with cremation standards across the country.

🗓️ The new law goes into effect on September 26, 2025, 91 days after the close of the legislative session. In the meantime, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has pledged to suspend enforcement of the previous 1800-degree rule during the rulemaking process.

Why this matters:
✔️ Reduces energy usage
✔️ Eases strain on equipment
✔️ Helps support more sustainable and efficient cremation practices

This shift marks a thoughtful and important step forward for Oregon’s death care landscape.

07/02/2025

🌿 We’re going back on the air! 🌿
We’re honored to be invited back to Life Matters. Because it Does! with Renee Miereanu on KSKQ 89.5 FM next Thursday, July 10 at 10:00 AM.

Join us for a heartfelt conversation about green burial, conservation, and the deep connection between land and legacy.

📻 Tune in live on your radio or stream it at kskq.org
🌱 Because life — and how we honor it — truly matters.

06/27/2025

🍁 Save the Date 🍁
Join us at The Forest Conservation Burial Ground on Sunday, September 21 for a special gathering in honor of the turning seasons.

🌞 Fall Equinox Tour & Celebration
🌿 Guided Tour at 2:00 PM
🌾 Celebration at 3:00 PM

As summer fades and autumn arrives, we invite you to walk the land, reflect on the cycles of life and nature, and share in a moment of community, connection, and gratitude.

📍 The Forest Conservation Burial Ground
🌐 theforestconservationburial.org/event/fall-equinox-tour-celebration

✨ All are welcome.

06/26/2025

Doesn't this event sound lovely? It will take place in the gathering area at the burial ground. Register today and give yourself the gift of poetry and expressive writing.

Address

658 Shale City Road
Ashland, OR
97520

Telephone

+15416259697

Website

https://theforestconservationburial.org/

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