Choose a Tree
instead
of a tombstone
Spread ashes beneath your own Memorial Tree in a protected forest.
A natural alternative to cemeteries
Better Place Forests’ nine forests feature more than 100,000 protected Memorial Trees so you can find your forever home in the forest. In partnership with nonprofits like the Arbor Day Foundation, we’ve planted over 500,000 new saplings to help reforest America.
Create Your Own Traditions
Start a new family tradition of honoring and connecting with loved ones in the forest.
A celebration,
not a funeral
Choose the natural way to return to the earth.
Choose a Memorial Tree
Explore our forests online or in-person and choose your personal tree with a Guide.
Plan a Forest Memorial
Create a meaningful memorial. Plan readings, music, and more.
Spread ashes
Ashes are mixed with local soil and returned to the
base of your tree.
Visit and remember
You and your loved ones have ongoing access
to the forest.
Get a fresh perspective on natural, end-of-life planning.
See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use your information.
Deb L.
Flagstaff Memorial Forest, Arizona
Kim A.
Point Arena Memorial Forest, California
Kris L.
Flagstaff Memorial Forest, Arizona
Explore our Forests
Every Memorial Tree Includes:
Your choice of tree in a protected forest
Rights to add people and pets in the future
Ongoing access to enjoy the forest
Saplings planted in your honor
Your Memorial Tree helps preserve and protect a beautiful forest that your family can visit for generations to come.
See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use your information.
Memorial Trees start at $5,900
Payment plans are available
with 25 additional saplings planted in honor
Overheard from our Guides
With sweeping views from the front of Ponderosa Passage, this tree is easily accessible from the forest’s entrance. Behind it lies a wetland meadow yielding sunflowers and Larkspur in spring, with expansive skies above.
with 100 additional saplings planted in honor
Overheard from our Guides
Two trees, fused at their base into one, stand as a unique testament to the interconnectedness of nature’s creations. Their intertwined roots and shared growth symbolize unity and strength, embodying the resilience of life’s bonds.
with 200 additional saplings planted in honor
Overheard from our Guides
This tree lives in busy area of our forest with squirrels, birds and deer feasting on tan oak acorns. It grows from and was nourished by the mother stump next to it which is also now home to a huckleberry bush.
Return to nature with a Forest Memorial
Plan a Forest Memorial with the help of a dedicated Guide at every step of the way. From choosing the perfect tree to crafting your marker inscriptions, we’re here to support you.
Take a short survey and our team can help you find your Memorial Tree online or in-forest.
See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use your information.
