Courtesy of Donelle Dreese
Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary debuts an all-natural art exhibit this weekend, spread across its 40 acres of rolling meadow and woods. In line with the green cemetery's ethos, all of the exhibits are created from organic materials and are designed to decay into the landscape.
Heritage Acres is the Cincinnati region's only dedicated green burial ground. Since opening in April 2020, the cremains of seven individuals have been interred in the Pierce Township preserve. In April 2021, the first body burial took place.
"It was a beautiful ceremony," says Donelle Dreese, vice president of Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary. "One thing that I think is really nice about green burial is all of the services are family-directed, so no two burials are the same. ... The service is over when the family is ready for it to be over. We would never rush anyone away from the sanctuary when they are going through a difficult time or trying to process that grief or the emotions that they may be experiencing.