A wicker-woven casket emerged from a funeral hearse earlier this month at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery for what would be the final resting place of Barbara Finley James.
The coffin, modest and held together by various plant materials, was placed on a wooden cart. After a brief moment, a man clad in tattoos and flannel introduced himself to the James family, and began detailing the morning’s service.
“This is a fairly participatory process, or at least it can be,” Prairie Creek operations coordinator Kevin Moran said.
Members of several generations of the James family approached the casket, and placed hands on the various handles attached throughout. With a silent signal, the family began the march through the inclining dirt path to their loved one’s burial site.
The walk was mostly silent, save for a few quips about the weather and the ever-present Florida heat. The mood carried a light feel — an occurrence not uncommon for the Prairie Creek staff — as the James family prepared for a unique end-of-life ceremony.
What are green burials?
Natural burials, also known as green burials, are an alternate form of end-of-life care that champion cleaner funeral practices. The three characteristics that distinguish a natural burial are no embalming, no vaults, and all burial containers used must be biodegradable.
The movement is one that is growing in the United States.
According to New Hampshire Funeral Resources & Education, there are approximately 508 variations of burial grounds that offer natural burial services.
Among these is Prairie Creek, which stands as one of the largest.
“The cemetery is over 93 acres that sits within the Prairie Creek Preserve, which is 600 acres,” Moran said.
What are the benefits?
Moran works alongside a group of Prairie Creek staff and volunteers. According to assistant director April Zee, land conservation has served as a pillar of the cemetery since its opening in 2010.
“Every burial we do helps to preserve more acreage of land,” Zee said. “The goal is to keep burying, keep getting land. The minute you put a body in the land, that land can never be built on or developed.”
Natural burials can also be an economic choice for families. Prairie Creek’s service fee for a body burial starts at $2,000.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median funeral cost in 2023 was $7,848. For families searching for end-of-life plans, green burials serve as a potentially economic alternative.
What goes into a burial?
The James family arrived at the grave plot and were greeted with a display of curated photos of a younger Barbara, neatly arranged chairs, and other objects fitting for a funeral. Among the items laid out on an adjacent table was a stand-in for a piece of Barbara’s soul: a conch shell meant to symbolize her love of the ocean.
“She loved anything that the ocean provided,” her daughter Margaret Haines said. “She saw that as an edge, as a metaphor, as an analogy for life and death.”
The morning was spent recounting various “Barbaraisms” — from her love of April Fools, to her small army of pets and her work as a therapist.
“You helped me to heal my inner child, but to still give him a seat at the table,” another family member said.
The Prairie Creek thinking considers that allowing families time to celebrate their loved ones matters just as much as the time planning logistics.
“It's beyond just who's buried here,” Zee said. “It's a time for people to really think back and reflect on those who have an impact on them.”
How do graves work?
Graves are found throughout the grounds covered in pine straw with brass-engraved markers on top of them, as well as eco-friendly items families find lying throughout the area.
“We have a specific set of criteria of approved items that can be placed on gravesites: all natural materials, all gathered here locally,” Moran said. “Just a way we help maintain our native ecosystems and help what species are coming in.”
Graves, too, are designed with the land in mind. Volunteers and family members can join the staff in the grave-digging process, picking up a shovel and helping prepare their loved one’s plot.
“I’m looking for 32 inches wide, 42 inches deep, and 85 inches long,” Moran said. People of all skill levels are welcome to volunteer and assist in these digs.
How has the conservation cemetery grown in Gainesville?
The cemetery has continued to garner patrons from in and around Florida.
“We have had a little over 1,400 [burials] since 2010,” Moran said.
Despite the growing interest, Prairie Creek remains the fourth most affordable conservation burial ground in the country, according to the Green Burial Council. The Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery is also the first and only conservation burial ground in the state of Florida.
The James family are no strangers to the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery grounds. Barbara’s sister Virginia was buried at the cemetery in 2024.
Over the years, Barbara’s family, including her youngest brother John James, have maintained a deep appreciation for the area.
“I’ve told all my kids this is where I want to be,” James said. “I think I’ve reserved a spot, and I’d have to check, but I’m not in any hurry!”
In the meantime, the grounds serve as a way to remember Barbara James.
“I can't think of a better way to experience Barbara's effect on all her family and friends,” James said.
A fitting resting spot for a person larger than life.