Pre-Arranging a Green Burial at
Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery
For a body to be buried at PCCC, we require the body NOT be embalmed and must be prepared for burial in a biodegradable shroud or container. A shroud can be as simple as a cotton sheet. Some examples of biodegradable containers are caskets made of wicker, reed, cardboard or a natural wood casket. There can be no finishes or metal hardware. Vaults are not allowed at PCCC, and all graves are dug by hand. Here is how to pre-arrange for burial at PCCC:
PCCC's PLANNING TOOL:
Have your client complete our Burial Preference Form (found here), a planning tool we have designed for PCCC. Completing this form is not necessary for an at need burial. When we receive a completed copy of the form we treat it as a general reservation or space taken in the cemetery. Keep a copy of the completed Burial Preference Form in your file. Provide a copy of the completed form to your client to keep with their death care documents.
VERY IMPORTANT: Please send a copy of the completed form to PCCC at:
Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery
7204 SE County Road 234
Gainesville, FL 32641
PAYMENT:
We are unable to accept any form of pre-payment; however, if your client wishes to prepay you may collect our fee and hold it in trust until the time of burial. The fees are $2,000 for body burials or $950 for cremains, and must be made prior to the burial. Our fee is for opening and closing the grave. We do not sell land rights for individual plots; PCCC retains ownership of all the land for management as a conservation area.
Shrouding:
At PCCC, the most common choice of burial product is a shroud. We understand not all funeral homes have experience with shrouding. Shrouds for burial at PCCC must be made out of a biodegradable fabric such as cotton, linen, wool, etc. Many retailers sell biodegradable shrouds online, however shrouds can be as simple as bed sheets or a quilt. We encourage you to work with the family to determine what type of shroud they would like for their loved one. There are countless methods for shrouding a body and many tutorials available online. The most important thing is that the shroud completely covers the entire body and is secure. Here is an article by the Green Burial Council about shrouding for natural burials.
PCCC's SERVICES INCLUDE:
For each ceremony we provide up to 15 chairs at the burial site. Our staff will be present to guide the family throughout the entire burial process and help as little or as much as the family desires. We also provide a free two-inch brass marker with the deceased’s name, birth and death dates. In addition to the marker, the grave can also be found using GPS, accessible through this link via smart phone.
AT TIME OF DEATH:
Kindly notify us when the death has occurred to acquire our two forms and begin coordination and planning for the burial. We will collaborate with the funeral home and family to set the burial date and specific details. Provide us with the general size of the deceased, whether they plan to be shrouded or in a container, and any other relevant dimensions.
DAY OF BURIAL:
Transport body to PCCC at designated time and bring a copy of the transit permit for our file. Please also provide a plastic name-tag somewhere on the body or in the container.
