Death....picnic
A write up of Albany WA Death Cafe
Nice change of scene for today's gathering - we had a picnic at Allambie Park Natural Burial Area. Around eighteen of us got together, complete with chairs, tables (even a lace tablecloth) and of course, our Thermoses and cake.
Given the location, it's not surprising that the discussion today largely centred on funeral options, including relative costs, the range of caskets available and build-your-own coffin projects.
We talked at length about Natural Earth Burial - what it is (interment in a fully biodegradable coffin, with no synthetic materials, in a relatively shallow, minimally marked grave), how it came about in our region (extensive lobbying around 6-7 years ago) and some of the pros (environmentally low-impact, minimum fuss) and cons (no obvious grave to visit, cannot reserve adjacent plots for partner or family). And we finished the afternoon by walking through the natural burial area and admiring the memorial, with its eleven (so far) leaves naming people buried there.
Next month will see us back at our usual venue - Hybla, Friday 28 April, 2-4pm - where the coffee and cake are served at our table and there are no mosquitoes!