At Better Place Forests we believe that end-of-life planning begins with considering what kind of legacy you want to leave. Our purpose is to give everyone the opportunity to leave behind more lasting, meaningful, beautiful legacies in one of our memorial forests. That’s why we’re on a mission to start a new dialogue around end-of-life that views it not with finality, or fear, but with possibility, community, optimism, and beauty. So how do we start?

Asking The Right Questions

Each and every one of us will leave behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is up to us. We can choose to ignore planning for it and risk it being something other than what we envisioned, or we can embrace the difficult topic and plan for a memorial that reflects a life well-lived. Take a few minutes and ask yourself these questions. 

• What will you leave behind as a lasting memorial after you’re gone? 
• What do you want your loved ones to remember about you?
• How do you want them to remember it? 
• And what kind of setting do you want them to be in when they remember you? 

These are the kind of questions we hope to enter into the dialogue about death earlier on in life, so that when we do face death, we have peace of mind that our final wishes will be carried out.

Sharing What You Want

Once you’ve answered these questions it’s important to make your wishes known. known. Your system of family, friends, and caretakers should be aware of your end-of-life plans. It may be hard for those who love you to imagine a world without you, but it’s important to take the time to explain your wishes clearly and be willing to answer questions. During the most difficult stages of grief, it will also comfort them knowing that they’re helping to make your final wishes come true. 

Making these difficult conversations feel more bearable and natural is critical to destigmatize death and in doing so, help create better legacies. Also important to consider is what tokens you’ll leave behind to ease your passing. The passing on of a beloved keepsake or a thoughtful personal letter can reassure those left behind that your memory and legacy will live on. You and your loved ones will rest easier knowing your final resting place is a hand-picked tribute to your memory. 

Envisioning a Sustainable, Beautiful, Final Resting Place

When we close our eyes and think about where we want our final resting place will be –– what comes to mind? Better Place Forests is a natural alternative to traditional burial unlike anything that has come before. Our sustainable solution allows you to return the ashes of you or a loved one to the earth under a private tree, protected for generations to come. Your ashes are rejoined with the ecosystem in a memorial service, and can be visited for generations to come. By reserving a tree you’re not only securing a living memorial for yourself and your family, you’re helping to conserve our planet and plant brand new trees through our partnership with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization that shares our goal of conserving and protecting trees. Our stunning forests are merely the beginning of our widening effort to re-imagine what it means to leave a better legacy. 

Imagining A Better World With Better Legacies

“I am so thrilled to know that my eternity will be spent in such a peaceful and natural setting. And I couldn’t be happier knowing that I am helping to preserve a part of the coastal ecosystem!”

– Barbara Bessemer, Better Place Forests Customer

We dream of a world in which everyone is as inspired by their end-of-life plans as Barbara Bessemer. A world where end-of-life doesn’t mean an end to a lasting, natural legacy. A world in which people are so encouraged by the beauty with which their legacy will be honored, and shared with generations to come that they are compelled to talk about it. Where we are moved to discuss a memorial of our own choosing that celebrates the impact our lives have had, and will continue to have on our loved ones, as well as the planet even after our passing. We’re working towards a future in which our US forests are joined by other forests globally in a growing tapestry of living memorials. We envision a world in which the conversation about a better ending starts now.