Today, the primary alternatives to burial are cremation, aquamation, and natural organic reduction. Each type of disposition will transform a person’s remains into a hygienic material that can be used in a variety of ways. 

Perhaps the most notable difference lies in the volume of remains created. When a body undergoes cremation or aquamation, the next of kin will receive about a gallon of “cremains”. When the primary process is complete, the flesh will be gone and what will be left behind will be fragments of bones. Before being returned to the family, the fragments will be processed through a “cremulator” which will pulverize the bones into a light colored ash.

The situation with Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) is quite different. Instead of less than a gallon’s worth of bone dust, natural organic reduction generates more than a hundred gallons of nutrient rich compost.

We’re talking about three 55 gallon steel drums that taken together will weigh almost a thousand pounds. At that point, taking possession of one’s loved one’s remains can be challenging.

And carrying out someone’s wish to be integrated back into nature is even more challenging. Just spreading the remains on the ground as an organic mulch is one thing, but that falls well short of the goal of reducing one’s carbon footprint.

The compost produced by the NOR process can best be described as a soil enhancement. When worked into poor soil, it will increase the soil’s ability to support life in multiple ways:

• The compost will help the soil retain water;
• It will enable tiny detritivores such as springtails and earthworms to aerate the soil so that oxygen can sustain the forest’s mycological network.
• It will moderate temperature swings thereby helping seeds germinate and get established. It will help shield new life from being burnt by the summer sun or frozen by the winter cold.
• The minerals in human compost will help replenish essential elements such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, etc., elements which are essential to support the life of the forest, and the lives of the animals who depend on the forest to feed them. Unless compost is worked into the soil, it will soon become just “dust in the wind.”

To address this issue, Herland Forest has developed three options; which one works best depends on the person’s goals and the wishes of the family.

• Above ground reduction which is officially called natural organic reduction.
• Enhanced natural burial which involves performing natural organic reduction using an inground chamber.
• A hybrid disposition which combines the best features of both options. The remains are reduced above ground so that the family can take a portion home, while the remainder is buried in the forest and becomes a tree.