In the Vinderhoutse Bossen in Ghent, a new site is being created to allow people to have their ashes buried in a natural way, without an urn. Funeral directors are also receiving more enquiries about this kind of option, notes funeral director Gerrit Cispa from Drongen: “The demand for new forms of burial in Ghent, closer to nature, is gradually increasing.”
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Burials in nature are growing in popularity
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The new natural burial site forms part of the Vinderhoutse Bossen woodland area. Unlike in a traditional cemetery, no urns are buried here. The ashes are buried in the natural environment, without an urn or any other container.
“It is not actually a cemetery, but a nature site that forms part of a nature reserve,” says Gerrit Cispa of the Cispa funeral home. “That is why no urns are buried here. In Drongen, however, an urn is required at the burial site. We are seeing an increase in the number of enquiries we receive for that location, but the whole thing is still in its infancy.”
Drongen is Ghent’s first natural burial ground and opened in 2021. Over the first four years, ashes were scattered on 46 occasions, and 67 biodegradable urns were buried. No memorials are permitted, and a plot is granted for 25 years.
Growing interest in natural burials
According to Gerrit Cispa, interest in natural burials has grown in recent years. “People are increasingly opting for a farewell ceremony in which nature plays a central role. This can be achieved by burying an urn, but also by having the ashes buried directly in nature or by choosing to scatter them.”
“There is an increasing demand for urns to be buried in a natural way, returning them to nature. It is a trend that is gradually gaining ground,” says Gerrit Cispa. “Ash scattering is also more frequently taking place at natural burial grounds.”
According to the funeral director, the traditional burial in a coffin at a conventional cemetery has been losing popularity for some time. “Those figures have been falling for quite a while. There are more new forms that are also in greater demand. People want to say their goodbyes in a more environmentally friendly way.”
Information session on Vinderhoutse Bossen
During an information session organised by the City of Ghent, Gerrit Cispa was briefed on the new site. The city has laid out new paths to guide visitors to the nature reserve. The funeral director has already visited the site himself and describes it as a beautiful, newly developed area.
However, the space available for natural burials is limited. “For the time being, part of the nature reserve has been set aside for this purpose. I believe there is currently a limit of 1,250 plots. But further expansion may be possible in the future, although that depends on the city’s future plans.”