Choose a Tree,
not a Tombstone
Spread ashes at your own Memorial Tree in a protected California forest. For a limited time, get an additional 100 saplings planted in your honor when you purchase your tree.
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Return to the earth naturally
Instead of a cemetery as your final resting place, a Memorial Forest is a protected place to return ashes to the earth. Choose a mature Memorial Tree in one of our iconic California locations. Honor life with an intimate Forest Memorial ceremony and a customized Memorial Marker. If you purchase before September 30, 2024, we’ll plant an additional 100 saplings in your honor with our nonprofit partner the Arbor Day Foundation.
Iconic California Forests
Choose the forest that speaks to you
Point Arena
MEMORIAL FOREST
Redwoods with a view of the Mendocino Coast
Santa Cruz
MEMORIAL FOREST
Redwoods in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Yosemite Gateway
MEMORIAL FOREST
Mountain meadows 30 miles from the National Park
A fresh perspective on end-of-life planning
Choose the natural way to return ashes to the earth
Choose your Memorial Tree
Explore our protected forests online or in-person and choose your tree with the help of a Guide.
Plan your Forest Memorial
Create a memorial that feels authentic to you. Plan readings, music, and more with the help of our Guides.
Spread your ashes
Ashes are mixed with local soil and returned to the base of your tree, becoming a part of the life of the forest.
Enjoy your forest
You and your loved ones have ongoing access to the forest. Visit as often as you’d like.
Talk to a local Guide to learn more and we’ll plant an additional
100 saplings in your honor with your tree purchase.
“There’s something about having a marker and a place to visit that’s important to me. I love knowing my family have become a part of a living, vibrant forest.”
Lea G.
Point Arena Memorial Forest, California
An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Cemeteries
When you choose a Memorial Tree, we plant up to 500 saplings in your honor. We proudly partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to replant areas impacted by deforestation and wildfires. If you choose your Memorial Tree by September 30th, 2024, we’ll plant 100 additional saplings.
Ashes are mixed with local soil so they can become a part of the forest ecosystem.
Unlike traditional cemeteries, our process is 100% natural. We don’t use any harmful substances or embalming chemicals when returning ashes to the earth.
Why choose a Memorial Tree
Sustainable and 100% natural
No chemicals or additives are used as ashes
are returned to the earth.
Beautiful place to visit and remember
Instead of a cemetery,
loved ones will
visit a thriving forest.
Legally spread people and pet ashes
You can alway choose
to add people
or pets to your tree.
Plan for the future & remove burden
Find peace of mind when
you complete
your end-of-life plan.
Protect a forest that your loved ones can visit for generations to come. Purchase before September 30, 2024 and have an additional 100 saplings planted in your honor.
“Having our tree has given me a gift. It’s as if Matt wanted me to have this special place to visit.”
Kim A.
Point Arena Memorial Forest, California
Memorial Trees start at $5,900
Payment Plans are Available
AS LOW AS $122/MONTH
“Ruth’s Forest Memorial was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The ceremony was uniquely tailored to my sister. It was truly beyond beautiful.”
Kathryn M.
“The idea of being out in nature under our tree gives us such a feeling of peace. Better Place Forests is the perfect place for us.”
Joy B.
“You have made something that was so painful in our lives into a beautiful and peaceful memory. Thank you a thousand times."
Sophia T.
“Better Place Forests gave me a way to celebrate, mourn, and memorialize. Knowing my sister is truly peacefully at rest provides me comfort beyond measure.”
Winslow S.
"My husband and I always wanted something close to nature because that's where our hearts are. To have a living memorial is an incredible opportunity to connect with the cycle of life."
Sonja B.
“This is a thoughtful, environmentally smart approach to end-of-life. I appreciate that my children will have a place other than a cemetery to visit.”
Francine S. Santa Cruz Memorial Forest, California