blog will draw the interest of people who
otherwise might avoid the discussion.
Sea Reef Burial
“We have no experience with
death anymore, and the only way that
is going to change is if we start talking
about it and planning for it, as we are
so eager to do with births, weddings
and every other of life’s most important
rituals,” the author contends. “People
put more thought and planning to
where they will spend their summer
vacation than where their body will be
laid for all eternity.”
In the course of his pre-need
personal exploration, Butz shopped
for an environmentally friendly coffin,
Choosing Green Forever
hand-dug a grave and met with a death by Gail Condrick
midwife, who will assist his family with
the logistics of dying. “There’s a heck of
a lot of paperwork,” he remarks, as well
as details of transporting and caring for
a
n ancient sea ritual continues: the honoring of the dead and
the continuation of life. But here, there are no ashes to merge
with the water; instead, a crane lowers a 400-pound memo-
his body from death through the home
rial reef ball containing cremated remains to the bottom of the Gulf
funeral ritual he prefers.
of mexico. Fifteen families, gathered on a fishing boat transformed
As part of the journey, he also re-
with flowers, watch as the remains of Tom rinaldi are placed on Lynn
visited the grave of his father, who died
silvertooth reef, an artificial reef off the coast of sarasota, Florida.
when Butz was a boy. “There my father
They are witnessing a green burial, the ultimate act of environmen-
was stuck, planted in some cramped
talism: giving of the self back to nature in a direct way.
piece of ground, surrounded by strang-
rinaldi had seen a television story about the artificial reefs
ers. He never wore a suit, yet he was
and decided he wanted his remains placed there. His memorial reef
buried in one. He was a man of the out-
ball was lowered on the date of his 30th wedding anniversary, to
doors, a man who liked simple things
celebrate the love he shared with his wife, Dawn.
and who loved wilderness and wildlife,
For years, artificial reefs have been used to create and sus-
yet he was buried in a frilly oak casket
tain marine life in damaged areas around the world. They create a
on a piece of ground that he never
safe haven and nursery for new sea life and blend into the underwa-
plowed, never trod over or enjoyed in
ter landscape as living ecosystems. “artificial reefs benefit the Gulf
any capacity during his life.
of mexico and sarasota Bay,” says mike solum, artificial reef coordi-
“A funeral [or] burial has to honor
nator for sarasota County. “we see grouper, sea turtles, sharks and
the life of the deceased,” Butz reasons.
seasonal fish on silvertooth reef.”
“It should in some way have elements
eternal reefs, of Decatur, Georgia, was the first u.s. com-
that symbolize who they were in life.”
pany to offer memorial reefs.
Founder Don Brawley recalls, “Before my father-in-law died
For more information about Bob Butz
in 1998, he asked me to add his cremated remains to the concrete
and his works, visit BobButz.com. The
cast of the reef balls I was deploying for marine rehabilitation.”
link to his blog is
since then, the cremated remains of some 600 individuals, couples
Spirituality-Health.com/books/blog/2.
and even pets have been building new life off america’s atlantic and
Green Burial Resources on the web
Gulf coasts.
include: The Green Burial Council at
while the practice of burial at sea is ancient, the technology
GreenBurialCouncil.org;
is up-to-date. reef balls are designed to last up to 500 years, and
GreenBurials.org; The Centre for Natu-
tests show they stay in place even during hurricanes. Leading pro-
ral Burial at NaturalBurial.coop/USA;
viders offer GPs tracking data coordinates that locate individual me-
and MemorialEcosystems.com, by the
morials, so families can revisit the reef and find the exact location of
owner of Ramsey Creek Preserve and
their loved ones for years to come. unlike the scattering of ashes on
Honey Creek Woodlands.
water, this service provides a place to gather and to pay homage to
the deceased—and to celebrate life on and under the water.
Freelance writer Sandy Rogovin reports
on natural and alternative wellness
For more information on Eternal Reefs, call 1-888-423-7333
and its pioneers. Contact her at
and visit EternalReefs.com.
srogovin@peoplepc.com.
March 2009March 2009 3131
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