Coastal Carolina Conservation Cemetery - 4C

09/21/2026

Looking for more information about green burial practices? Check out the Green Burial Council's monthly webinar series!

09/21/2026

Next on our list of introductions is our Board Vice Chair, Dr. Alissa Dark-Freudeman.

Alissa is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She is a developmental psychologist whose work focuses on adult development, aging, and end-of-life. Alissa teaches classes on the psychology of death and dying and serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Mortality, an international, peer-reviewed academic journal that promotes the interdisciplinary study of death, dying, grief, bereavement, and memorialization.

Alissa says she feels most at home outdoors—gardening, hiking, and exploring the world around her—all of which lend to her passion for creating a conservation cemetery in southeastern North Carolina.

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09/09/2026

Recognize the flower in our logo? It’s a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)! 🐝

The purple coneflower is an herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family that is native to the central and eastern United States. Their striking appearance, resilience, and ecological value make them a favorite in naturalized landscapes, prairies, and pollinator gardens.

Purple coneflowers are rich in nectar and pollen, making them a vital summer resource for our native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Their long bloom time and prominent flower heads provide easy and continued access to pollinators throughout the year’s hottest months.

These flowers continue to benefit their environments even after their beautiful pinkish-purple petals have dropped. In the late summer and fall, the dried seedheads become an important food source for songbirds—especially American goldfinches, which can often be seen perched on the spent cones, plucking out seeds.

The purple coneflower’s use in our logo was first suggested by our Board Chair, Lloyd Singleton. Now retired, Lloyd previously served as the director of the NC Cooperative Extension - New Hanover County Center and Arboretum, which just so happens to be one of the best places to see purple coneflowers working their magic.

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09/04/2026

"We lost a revered poet this week, Wendell Berry, age 92.

His poem 'I Go Among Trees' speaks to me as an image of what I want at the end of my life. I don’t want to be buried in a neatly trimmed cemetery with water-hogging turf grass maintained with fossil-fuel powered equipment, with concrete vaults and poisonous embalming fluid ready to leach to a water supply. Conventional burial with its plastic flowers, metal caskets and showy headstones is not my jam. Instead, I long to 'go among trees and sit still.'

The mission of the Coastal Carolina Conservation Cemetery is to offer such a place for our community. Join me?"

- Lloyd Singleton, Board Chair

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09/01/2026

Each month, we want to take the time to highlight the conservation burial grounds that have inspired our mission and continue to motivate us to establish a conservation cemetery in southeastern North Carolina. 🌱

We figured there was no better way to start this series than by shining a spotlight on the very first conservation burial ground to exist in the United States—Ramsey Creek Preserve.

Formed by Memorial Ecosystems, Inc. in 1996, Ramsey Creek Preserve is located just outside of Westminster in Upstate South Carolina. While the preserve originally opened with 33 acres, today it encompasses 78 acres, 75 of which are designated specifically for conservation burial.

The land itself sits on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains and consists of southern prairie, dry ridge-tops, rich alluvial streamside areas, and a couple of moist coves and springs. The area is also known as a “biological cross-roads,” as it hosts both mountain and piedmont plant species (many of which are indexed on Memorial Ecosystems, Inc.’s website).

To learn more about Ramsey Creek Preserve and Memorial Ecosystems, Inc., we encourage you to visit their website at www.MemorialEcosystems.com.

📸: All images credited to Memorial Ecosystems, Inc.

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08/14/2026

We are excited to start introducing the board members guiding the direction of the Coastal Carolina Conservation Cemetery. First up is our Board Chair, Lloyd Singleton!

Lloyd has spent much of his career promoting environmental sustainability through his work in horticulture. Now retired, he previously served as the director of the NC Cooperative Extension Center and Arboretum in New Hanover County.

Lloyd holds a master's degree in agroecology from the University of Florida and continues to contribute to our local community through his service on the boards for the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees and the Brooklyn Arts District (B.A.D.) Garden Club.

Lloyd's background brings an important perspective to our mission, and we're grateful to have his leadership as we work toward establishing a conservation burial ground in southeastern North Carolina!

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08/07/2026

Blair has been a part of 4C since the very beginning.

The care he has for his community is tangible and he brings so much joy to all that know him. Please consider sharing or donating to help him rebuild after such a devastating loss.

Help Blair Houtz Rebuild After a Devastating House Fire Late Tuesday night,… Caylan Mckay needs your support for Help Blair Rebuild After House Fire

08/03/2026

What is a conservation burial? 🌱

Like all green burials, conservation burials allow one's body to return to the earth naturally and with minimal environmental impact. These practices forgo the use of formaldehyde-based embalming chemicals, grave vaults and liners, and other non-biodegradable materials, and instead opt for burial containers and shrouds that are made with materials that are renewable, sustainable, and non-toxic.

What make a conservation burial unique is its direct connection to land conservation. To qualify as a conservation cemetery, the land must be permanently safeguarded from development through a conservation easement. In addition, a land management and restoration plan is also implemented to rehabilitate and maintain the area's native ecosystems.

In a conservation cemetery, each and every burial adds to a legacy of conservation that benefits both people and the natural world.

📸: The photos used in this post were taken at Bluestem Conservation Cemetery in Cedar Grove, North Carolina.

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07/26/2026

The Coastal Carolina Conservation Cemetery (4C) was founded by community members who believe that caring for the land and caring for one another can go hand in hand.

Rooted in a passion for conservation, ecological stewardship, and sustainable end-of-life care, we are working to establish a nonprofit conservation cemetery in the coastal Carolina region that will permanently protect natural landscapes while offering a meaningful alternative to modern-day burial practices.

Stay up to date with our progress by following us here, on Instagram at , and by signing up for our newsletter at www.CCCC-NC.org.

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06/21/2026

Hello all! For anyone interested in learning more about green burial and 4C's developments as a nonrpofit, please join us at Green Drinks Wilmington, NC on July 28, 6 p.m. at Waterline Brewery.
Our executive director Rachel is scheduled to present and we would love to have as many people join as possible!

Green Drinks is a casual group of environmentalists that meets on the last Tuesday of every month for presentations/discussion on local sustainability topics relevant to our community. Check out their website for more info and come join us for free education!
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