A Trip to Panorama Natural Burial

Our home experienced deep losses in 2023, including my mother-in-law this December. When we lose someone special to us, our lives are changed and it can remind us of our own mortality, and lead us to questions like "How do I want to live my life on Earth to the fullest?" and "How do I want to return to the Earth when my day comes?"

I went into my annual Seasonal Soul Session over New Years in solitude holding these questions. I read, I walked, I journaled, and I visited cemeteries. The journey I want to share with you is where I ended up on New Years Day.

I hit the road and drove just over an hour, north of Charlottesville to Panorama Natural Burial. Once my phone said I was just a few minutes away, I hit a gravel road. Then on my left see the entrance gate, which I drive through and then stop at the kiosk on the right and read the story about this new family owned green cemetery that just opened in 2023. I immediately was in awe of the rolling hills and the mountains in the distance, the quiet except the wind through the trees and the birds singing, and thought, what a beautiful healing place for those visiting loved ones.

I parked my car and walked on the mowed grass paths through the meadow. I can only imagine how beautiful it is when it's in bloom! I came across river stones with just the name and dates of those buried here. I saw in the distance a woman walking with a hiking stick and then she took a seat on a bench under a row of Cedar trees. As I walked near she says "Hello!" I walk over and we start talking, but only after we both exchange words in the spirit of "Only talk if you feel like it", which we agreed we did! She was there visiting her husbands grave site, he passed last spring. We talked about her experience with this cemetery, how I was exploring places I may want to rest when my time comes, about her husband and how she feels him around her every day, how I'm handling the loss of my mother-in-law, about trees and what I do for work, and various other topics! Our conversation came to a close. She headed back home and I wandered around...over to the old barn, through the three different burial areas, down to an old spring, searching for graves and reading the names of those at rest here so I could later look up their stories to learn more about them.

What I loved about this place, 1) It felt full of life! Wildlife all around, native plants flourishing, someone walking their dog, mentions of the Tree Stewards and other environmental groups coming for activities, and the open sky, 2) It supports community by inviting you to linger and explore, which opens up the opportunity to meet someone to talk during what could be a dark time for you, but also plenty of space to be alone, and 3) It is rooted in conservation through natural burial and the starting of a Restoration Committee in 2024 to guide restoring the meadows and forests on the property. Oh and, it's in the Rivanna River Watershed, which is part of my beloved James River Watershed!

I'm still exploring, but I think I may have found a place where I could rest next to an old Cedar near a young, slow growing Beech tree, which has always been a favorite tree of mine. The way they hold onto their brown leaves through the winter, rustling in the wind, is music to my ears even on the darkest of days. It's a a place where my loved ones could visit me amongst the trees and nature, where I have always felt most at home. Enjoy some of the photos I took during my visit below.