The concept of a natural burial as an environmentally friendly option in private and public cemeteries is becoming increasingly popular throughout the country, primarily for its minimal environmental impact, simplicity, and lower cost to the consumer. Historically, natural burials were the norm until modern funeral practices like embalming, caskets made from exotic wood, and non-biodegradable cement vaults evolved shortly after the Civil War in response to the desire to preserve soldiers’ remains until they were returned home to their families. Today, with more than 350 green burial cemeteries in the United States, natural burial practices are making a comeback, and municipal officials and consumers are evolving in their understanding of the benefits and management needs of natural burials.

In Lebanon, natural burial advocates are doing their part to provide helpful education and research on the subject, and many have been working with the Lebanon Board of Cemetery Trustees, City Council, and City staff since 2019 to arrive at a workable solution to the natural burial question.

There are a range of options to consider, but many communities opt for what’s known as a hybrid cemetery to accommodate natural burials, according to Lee Webster, Executive Director of New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy and Vice Chair for Education for Green Burial Council International. Lee is one of the nation’s foremost experts on natural burials and lives in New Hampshire. “Hybrid cemeteries are usually municipal,” says Lee. “Natural cemeteries are generally owned and operated by consumers and vary from state to state. Then there are conservation cemeteries which permit burials in a natural setting, connecting people to the land in a different way than conventional cemeteries.” New Hampshire currently has approximately 11 cemeteries that support natural burials, and several Upper Valley towns are evaluating the practice, according to Lee.

According to Paula Maville, Lebanon’s Deputy City Manager, the City has been exercising due diligence in evaluating the natural burial option. “We want to meet the objectives of the advocates who want the change while at the same time respecting the staff in their need to evaluate the maintenance implications.” Among the considerations are determining designated areas for natural burials, grave depth, equipment requirements, and providing equity in the burial process in terms of fees and the City’s role. “There are lots of things to consider, and a lot to learn,” says Paula.

For their part, natural burial supporters are hopeful the City’s considered evaluation will bring about a fair resolution. Judith Bush and Rainie Kelly have been attending Lebanon Board of Cemetery Trustees and City Council meetings, sharing information, and contributing to the process of revising the ordinance that governs burial practices in Lebanon since the conversation began. Says Rainie, “The City Council is supportive and tasked the staff with evaluating the process. From my perspective this is all about good problem solving and Yankee ingenuity. My hope is that Lebanon residents will soon have the option to return to the more environmentally benign practices of our forebears.”

Judith Bush agrees. “We appreciate the support and interest of the City Council in listening to our perspective. It’s aligned with the City’s environmental statements and that’s important to us too.” Progress is being made, says Judith. “One issue that has been resolved is the location. There is agreement now that the West Lebanon Cemetery should be an option along with Old Pine Tree Cemetery, which has a hilly landscape.” There is also a commitment to use a rigid burial container rather than just a shroud covering, which is the practice in many countries.

The Lebanon Board of Cemetery Trustees has been gathering information about natural burials from a number of sources, including working with Lee Webster. Board Chair Tony Palazzo is a retired research agronomist who keenly understands soil composition. Tony considers Lebanon soils ideal for natural burials because they have good drainage. “We got advice from the Cemetery Sexton in Montpelier, which helped to answer questions about winter burials, staff roles, and using smaller equipment. We want to be thoughtful about how to implement this to make sure it’s a sustainable option.” Board Co-Chair Caitlyn Hauke, who succeeded Lee Webster as the President of the Board of Directors of the Green Burial Council International, thinks that natural burials will likely be a small fraction of the annual burials in the City. “At this point the City Council understands that residents have an interest in natural burials, and they want to support that, while making sure the staff impacts are considered.” Caitlyn expects the ordinance language to be finalized by the City Council sometime in March.

City Councilor Devin Wilkie thinks the process to consider natural burial has been thorough and informative. “From the data and the information that has been given to the City Council, the process seems doable. From a personal perspective I’m thrilled that this is something we’ve been able to have really constructive and thoughtful discussion about, and that City staff and the advocates are working together to bring this sustainable and ecologically friendly approach for burials to Lebanon.”

As the natural burial movement continues to grow, new resources are being made available, such as the Green Burial Masterclass created by Lee Webster and offered in partnership with the education organization Redesigning the End. The course explores best practices informed by science, conservation, cemetery operations, and religious and cultural concerns. Lee sees this development as a reflection of more and more consumers making their voices heard. “Pioneers have been starting cemeteries and making them work. Growth is big, and demand is increasing.”

For Lebanon natural burial pioneers and City officials, the time spent learning about this new, yet old way of putting loved ones to rest seems to have been well spent.

The late Nicole Cormen, a dedicated conservationist and Lebanon City Councilor, loved Lebanon’s trails and natural areas. She and her friends liked to hike a different trail every Friday to honor the memory of Laurel Letter, who created Lebanon’s first conservation lands map by hand long before GPS and Google Maps. If you were lucky enough to get out on the trail with Nicole or Laurel, you could be guaranteed to learn a few things about the trees, wildlife, and flowers in Lebanon’s conserved lands.

It’s a bit of a challenge to choose a few favorites from the City’s 22 miles of trails on more than 1,880 acres, with more publicly accessible trails owned and maintained by others to explore. To help me decide, I talked with Ron Bailey, volunteer trail steward extraordinaire, who has designed, built, or maintained nearly every trail in the City’s extensive system. Here are a few options to consider:

Signal Hill

Nicole Cormen with John Joline.

One of my favorite memories of Signal Hill is of a frigid winter night in 2008 when I joined intrepid land stewards Nicole Cormen and Ron Bailey in burning a huge pile of invasive buckthorn on the open summit. The event required permission from the City Administration, the Airport, and the Fire Department, but we made it happen complete with a marshmallow roast. We hiked up the steady incline from Alden Road through two beautiful open fields before turning into the woods for the final ascent. In a just a mile of moderately easy walking, we were greeted with open views of Mt. Ascutney and the surrounding peaks.

On a recent visit, I explored a new trail that loops back down the hill to the meadows past a lovely small pond, with many wildlife tracks to study. Signal Hill’s history is interesting, and it has an historic connection to our brush fire. According to the City’s website, it is “part of the old chain of signal hills and mountains that date back to the Revolutionary War days when signal fires were lit atop the hills to indicate that the Redcoats were coming.”

Farnum Hill Preserve

A jewel in the middle of the City, Farnum Hill is an 880-acre forested tract gifted to the City by Dr. Myric Wood Jr. and family in 1982. As early as 1780, the first meeting house in Lebanon was built along one edge of the preserve, as well as the first road. Later the land was farmed by the Aspenwall and Farnum families. Today, a series of ridge trails with five access points provides hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and trail running opportunities. The terrain is hilly and steep in places, but my favorite way to explore Farnum Hill is to hike it end to end. You can drop off a bicycle or car at the trailhead 2.4 miles up Poverty Lane, then journey back to the access across Poverty Lane Orchards to begin the roughly 2 hour walk. Shorter loops are available, including the Ron Bailey Trail, and the City’s parks and recreation department hosts the Farnum Five Trail Run here every fall.

Alice Peck Day Hospital Nature Trails

Designed by John Morton, a two-time Olympian and member of the Biathlon Hall of Fame, the APD trail system rolls gently over five miles of woods behind the hospital and neighboring retirement communities, Harvest Hill and The Woodlands. If ever there was a perfect place to cross country ski after a decent snowfall, this is it. The trails are wide enough for skate skiing, and you hardly know you’re ascending the side of a hill as you meander through a series of easy loops with excellent signage and benches strategically located for rest and reflection. For the very adventurous, this system connects with the City’s Starr Hill Natural Area off Young Street, offering additional loop trails. John’s vision of a trail system for everyone to enjoy was enthusiastically supported by the first administrator of the Harvest Hill facility, and is regularly maintained by the hospital. The trails are open to the general public.

Hats off to the trailblazers and stewards like Nicole Cormen and Ron Bailey, who have worked tirelessly along with City officials to create a network of trails and natural areas in Lebanon, most of them permanently protected. These public lands provide for wildlife migration, environmental education, and the simple enjoyment of nature. The next time a Friday rolls around, maybe we should all go for a hike.

The Lebanon Conservation Commission and Planning Department provide oversight and maintenance of the trails and natural areas. Complete descriptions and maps are available on the Planning Department website.

Cindy Heath has hiked nearly all of Lebanon’s trails and all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers. She is the former Director of Recreation & Parks in Lebanon.

November and December is a time of real local pride for me, especially, and perhaps strangely, pride in our local harvest. Summer’s juicy fresh fruits and veggies are fabulous and already missed, but our autumnal New Hampshire foods dominate the traditional menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hannukah. The classic Hannukah potato pancakes are served with applesauce, after all, and potatoes and apples are easy to find on Lebanon farms!

The Thanksgiving story, of course, is all about New England foods. I like to add two components to my family’s big holiday meals, both of which are possible because I live here, in this rural community filled with excellent farms.

Firstly I like to use local ingredients as much as I am able, perhaps in one dish, perhaps in many. Potatoes, carrots, winter squash, Brussels sprouts, various meats or cheeses—these are readily available from local farms. A New Englander born and bred, I get great satisfaction looking at our table during times of celebration and feeling connected to our agricultural heritage, our self-sufficient communities, and the hard work of my farming neighbors.

The second component I add is something fresh and green. It’s easy for big group meals to focus on meats, potatoes, stuffing, and rolls. I love pie, and spend most of my feast prep rolling out pie dough and slicing apples (New Hampshire butter and apples are key to the process!). Adding something green and fresh balances out the heavy foods…and magically leaves more room for pie. I can still find local, very fresh green vegetables to make a simple salad or cooked dish at our grocers and farmers’ markets this time of year.

A simple kale Caesar salad can be my local, green dish—trendy and tasty. Developed by Bethany Fleishman, who, among other things, develops local recipes at Vital Communities, it’s a delicious and healthy side. The recipe requires hand-squeezing the kale, which is a great way for children to join the meal preparation. With very clean hands, kids can squeeze and squish the kale until it gets soft. They love it.

The recipe details making croutons and dressing from scratch (my kids also liked making the croutons and eating half of them in the process). If you prefer, you can use store bought croutons and/or dressing, but don’t be put off by the fairly straightforward process of making your own. As Bethany says, you’ll build kitchen skills!

To find local kale and many other delicious local foods for your table, visit our local grocers, winter farmers’ markets, or winter farm stands. Or, use the zip code search in the Online Guide at ValleyFarmFresh.org—it’s amazing how many farms are within 10 miles of Lebanon. Here’s to a fresh-food-filled season!

Find our Kale Salad Recipe at VitalCommunities.org/KaleCaesar.

Friends of Laurel Letter, hike leader Ron Bailey of Plainfield and Mark Goodwin of the Lebanon Planning Office display the new plaque honoring Laurel Letter’s conservation legacy.

Who knew? A forested gem just a few steps away from some of Lebanon’s busiest streets, lush in spring with vernal pools and wildflowers, lies tucked between I-89, Alice Peck Day, and Young Street. Starr Hill has been known to some for a long time, though its healing beauty is always available for appreciation by new visitors.

Starr Hill’s survival as conserved land is a story of persistence by Laurel Letter and her husband, Sid. Longtime residents of the Young Street neighborhood, they knew and appreciated both the value of the hill’s peace and charm, and the fragility of its position so close to the growing city. Though parts of the land were probably safe from development, being very cliffy, the more level spots might be in danger. Public ownership would remove all doubt. So, shortly after the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) was founded in 1985, Laurel began pointing out the value of Starr Hill, and urging the Land Trust to protect it.

UVLT always has more options of places to conserve than it has dollars, and this was especially true in those early years, before the group earned the respected place it now holds as a force for land preservation in the Upper Valley. With endless though always cheerful effort, Laurel pursued her project with the gentle but relentless dedication of a border collie. Her work went beyond just the Starr Hill land. In pre-GIS days there were no maps of what the City owned, which led her to research and map by hand a catalog of all City-owned properties of conservation interest. The “Laurel Letter map” was for years the planners’ reference about conservation land.

Laurel’s Loop

The Starr Hill parcel came up for sale and a developer made plans (which fell through) for condominiums. This narrow escape was a constant spur for Laurel, who practically moved into the UVLT office, then on Colburn Park. In 1991 her efforts finally paid off: UVLT agreed to conserve the land, and the Lebanon Conservation Commission put up some money.

But more money was needed, and it was at this point that Sid and Laurel made one of the most unusual gestures ever in support of conservation: They took out a second mortgage on their house, as much as the bank would allow, to match the Commission’s donation, closing the gap in funding.

“It was scary,” admits Sid Letter, recalling this financial commitment. “But Laurel had been a very, very careful manager of our resources for so many years, I figured if she wanted to do it, it was okay. I had immense confidence in her, based on years of experience.”

Laurel Letter

Laurel died in March, 2014. The UVLT has organized walks on Starr Hill trails on Earth Day as a memorial to Laurel and her indomitable efforts, and they hope to make the walk an annual event. Sid joined in this spring’s walk, and was pleased to notice fewer signs of “hell-raising”—bottles and other trash scattered about.

“There was nothing in evidence,” he says. “The place looked significantly better than it used to.” If he felt pride as he once again admired the rugged boulders, gentle trails, sturdy trees, and delicate wildflowers, he’s certainly earned it.

There is trail access parking for several cars at the end of Wheatley St., one block west of Young St., which runs parallel to Hanover St. Please do not block or park on private property.

The Dartmouth College Office of Science and Technology Outreach website asks visitors the following questions:

“Thirsty for good conversation in a stimulating atmosphere? Do you harbor questions you would like to ask a scientist or would you prefer to sit back, relax, and learn something new about the world?”

If you have answered yes to any of these inquiries, the Dartmouth College Office of Science & Technology Outreach and Lebanon’s downtown Salt hill Pub have just the ticket for you: Science Pubs, an informal monthly presentation and discussion on a variety of topics of scientific interest.

Based on the Science Cafe model developed in Europe in the 1990s, Science Pubs at Salt hill bring scientists and the public together for informal discussions around topics ranging from fracking to happiness to local food.

“I had heard of the concept about two years ago, so I contacted the officials at Dartmouth College and invited them over for lunch to discuss having a Science Pub here in Lebanon,” explained Josh Touhy, owner of Salt hill Pub. “Right out of the chute I felt this would be the perfect environment for such a wonderful event to be staged. It would draw folks from all walks of life, and this area has a lot of intellectual institutions nearby. This provides a way in which they can get away from the standard lecture hall and relax in a warm atmosphere like we offer. I’ve often joked what could be better than that!”

He was correct. At the monthly Science Pub in October, an overflow crowd packed the Gateway Function Room, forcing management to place video screens in the adjoining main dining room so everyone could watch the program unfold while they dined on authentic Irish pub fare combined with a selection of 15 Guinness draft offerings.

The end result? A relaxed and receptive audience that embraced the program with gusto.

The topic of the October lecture was “Sending Signals: How We (and our Animal Cousins) Find Mates, Avoid Predators and Survive.” The evening discussion was overseen by Robert L. Welly, associate professor from Dartmouth College’s Earth Sciences Department. (Welly is responsible for securing financial support for the Science Pub program from NASA.) On the podium were Ryan Callable, associate professor of biological sciences, Hannah ter Hofstede, assistant professor of biological sciences, and Nathaniel Hominy, associate professor of anthropology.

The presentation emphasized the following: “We see it in the mating dances of birds and lizards and even the pick-up scene in any bar.” (That brought a buzz of approval from the crowd.) “Evolutionary biologists call this phenomenon ‘signaling,’ behaviors that attempt to benefit the signaler and change the behavior of the receiver. In a nutshell, it’s about sex, reproduction, and survival of the fittest.”

That lecture was punctuated by a lively question-and-answer period that allowed the lecturers to take seats and mingle with the guests for a more up-close and personal approach. Good humor was the order of the evening along with lively, thought-provoking questions.

Many of the guests present were science professionals with a keen interest in all the programs at Salt hill Pub. One example was Shanna Nifoussi of Lebanon.

“I teach biology at two different colleges, and I invited some of my students here so they can get extra credits. It’s a good way for students to get away and learn about science in a different manner, not just what they read in books.”

The series will continue through May of next year, with a wide variety of topics that can be checked out on the Dartmouth College website (search for “science pub”). There are many cold winter evenings ahead, and you will be hard pressed to find a warmer setting to learn and enjoy the company of others.

Ed. Note: Jeanie McIntyre is President of Upper Valley Land Trust and was a friend of Lebanon resident Laurel Letter, who died earlier this year. This article is adapted from the original published in March at uvlt.org.

Laurel Letter was not a conservation leader. At least that’s what she would have said. She would say that she did not have expertise or confidence, she would ask for advice about next steps. She would offer to assist, to gather information. She would make it easier for others to lead – actually, she made it impossible for others not to lead. That’s how Laurel Letter made things happen.

In the 1980s, Laurel knew her Young Street neighborhood in Lebanon as well as anyone, and she especially knew that a small patch of nature was wedged between the close blocks of homes and the Interstate highway. She treasured the importance of this little piece of forest and boulders, with its vernal pool and wetlands. So when the Upper Valley Land Trust came into existence, Laurel was one of our earliest visitors, with stories of children building forts among the rocks, and adults stepping into the woods for quiet evening walks. Laurel’s patch of nature was called “Starr Hill.” A portion of it was owned by the City of Lebanon, but there were two undeveloped tracts that belonged to a developer who planned to construct condominiums.

I was new at UVLT, and only working part time when Laurel got the idea to conserve Starr Hill. In those early years I’m sure there were weeks when she was in the office more than I was. To begin with, she first had to figure out what the city owned, which led her to research and map a catalog of all city-owned properties of conservation interest (no list existed at that time). Then she needed to explain to city leaders why the ownership at Starr Hill should be expanded and why it should be conserved. And how conservation easements work. And how it would be paid for (but that part comes later).

To be honest, Laurel also had to persuade UVLT that the conservation of Starr Hill would be valuable. It’s not a big area and it doesn’t hold rare or unusual features – it’s not “charismatic.” But it is loved. That was the truth that Laurel presented every time she walked through our door.

Laurel’s efforts went on over years. The property went on the market, there were legal notices about tax and mortgage delinquency, and issues about development capacity and city regulations. Laurel, ever optimistic, wrote letters and copied the legal notices. She would arrive breathless and cheerful in our fourth floor offices over Colburn Park, bringing us news and eager for her next assignment. She would depart for City Hall with a list of tasks and a happy smile. Back and forth.

And then… it worked! And as the pieces came together, Laurel revealed her most incredible act of leadership. She and her husband Sid took out a second mortgage on their home in order for the acquisition and conservation of the Starr Hill property to proceed. They borrowed the maximum amount the bank would allow. The Conservation Commission approved a $10,000 expenditure from the city’s Conservation Fund. The deal was done.

In the years that followed, few Lebanon residents knew that Sid and Laurel were making payments on the debt they bore for Starr Hill.

The first time I monitored a conservation easement, I called on Laurel Letter. It was early November, hunting season. We walked all over Starr Hill together. She encouraged me to scramble up one of the big boulders so she could take a photo. We got cold in the wind where the property was more open. Then we returned to her modest home to warm up. We sat together and talked.

The details of that day are memories that I treasure – Laurel’s pure joy in knowing that Starr Hill was secure for all time. Her humility, her generosity, her care for her neighbors. A leader by doing: gracious, modest, dogged, loving.

Laurel Sherman Letter died on March 13, 2014. Community members who knew Laurel, love Starr Hill, support UVLT and conservation in Lebanon, or just wanted to get outside on Earth Day walked together in her memory at Starr Hill on April 22.