Welcome to Herland Forest!
(Please pardon our silicon dust as we recover from a major website crash.)
The Herland Forest Natural Burial Cemetery is a non-profit cemetery dedicated to facilitating an individual’s return to the circle of life. This permaculture forest, located on the eastern edge of the Cascadian wilderness, combines the native pine, fir, and oak with non-native varieties such as chestnut and walnut, ginkgo and cherry, apple and hazelnut, to create a living sanctuary that supports the birds, bees, animals, and people who make the forest their home.
Our Mission
At Herland Forest, we are committed to honoring the ancient cycles of life, death, and renewal through sustainable land stewardship and natural burial practices. Managed by the Windward community, our mission is to integrate human life with the surrounding forest ecosystem, fostering a deep connection between people and the natural world. By combining research, education, and a holistic approach to end-of-life care, we aim to create a lasting legacy of environmental stewardship and community resilience.
Herland Forest lies at the transition between the wet forests to the west and the dry highlands to the east. Here you’ll see Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine growing side by side among ancient oaks, as we work to diversify the forest to increase its ability to support life in the wild.
Herland Forest uses cutting-edge permaculture techniques to increase the forest’s ability to nourish life and to protect it from the wildfires that threaten western forests. We delight in transforming graves into bouquets of flowers that herald the annual return of spring to the forest.
We ask you to join with us as we work to enable death to create new life.