The Nonprofit Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve, in the hamlet of Glendale, midway between Mobile, Alabama and Tallahassee, Florida, is offering something rare and beautiful—the chance to truly rest in peace. Their stated goal is to enhance, protect and preserve a valuable area of distinctive beauty, provide affordable, environmentally sensible burial options, and to encourage a return to sane, older, traditional approaches to burial.

Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve provides spacious burial and cremation repository sites, with no vaults or toxic embalming chemicals and caskets are made of wood or other biodegradable materials or cremation urns made of wood or clay. Clients may use shrouds woven from cotton or wool, or a favorite blanket or quilt. Appropriate markers can be made of uncut natural stone or a native tree, shrub or flower.

Owner John Wilkerson says, “We encourage to act as their own funeral director.” Survivors may also scatter ashes at Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve or bury beloved pets in a family plot. Eighty percent of the 350 acres will remain forever wild and free of development. Only trails and boardwalks have been added.

Because Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve cares deeply about saving land, 25 percent of gross receipts are set aside to preserve restoration, perpetual stewardship and other conservation activities. They also help promote memorial preserves in other regions of the country and are affiliated with Memorial Ecosystems.

Mailing address: 297 Railroad Ave., DeFuniak Springs, FL 32443. For more information, call 850-859-2141 or email [email protected].