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How we conserve forests and support families
Our mission is to inspire everyone to leave a meaningful legacy for the planet and the people they love.
It’s our belief that your legacy can inspire future generations. At Better Place Forests, we support families in their end-of-life arrangements while conserving natural areas for future generations.
We protect sustainable forests that offer an accessible, beautiful and serene setting
Serene, managed forests
Better Place Forests collaborates with local communities and stakeholders to conserve our forests. To ensure forest health, we hire local experts and adopt forest management best practices to reduce the risk of fire and mitigate the risk of disease.
Over time, we also engage with land trusts to seek conservation easements, and we have established a stewardship trust dedicated to ongoing care and maintenance of the forests.
Over time, we also engage with land trusts to seek conservation easements, and we have established a stewardship trust dedicated to ongoing care and maintenance of the forests.
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Their light but improving touch on the land itself, and their earnest desire to create a sustainable, ethical business model have endeared these people to residents.
Carolyn C.
Neighbor to our Point Arena Forest
Beautiful spaces designed for accessibility
Once we’ve acquired a forest, our team identifies different memorial sections. Arborists catalog the land, clear invasive species and assess the well-being of each tree.
Trail builders create pathways so you can walk around the forest and reflect. They also create wheelchair and ADA‑compliant routes.
Trail builders create pathways so you can walk around the forest and reflect. They also create wheelchair and ADA‑compliant routes.
Crafting a meaningful visitor experience
Expert architects and landscape designers build a visitor's center that's designed to create a beautiful, natural and open experience – just like the forest around it. It's integrated into the unique landscape of each forest.
To ensure visits are as convenient as they are meaningful, every center includes parking, restrooms and drinking water.
To ensure visits are as convenient as they are meaningful, every center includes parking, restrooms and drinking water.
Proud members of the community
We care deeply about playing a positive role in the local community.
We’re committed to being good neighbors by engaging with stakeholders and local jurisdictions to conserve beautiful forestland. We hire locally to ensure that each memorial forest serves its community. We seek opportunities to support local merchants, organizations and educational institutions to become a proud member of each local community.
We’re committed to being good neighbors by engaging with stakeholders and local jurisdictions to conserve beautiful forestland. We hire locally to ensure that each memorial forest serves its community. We seek opportunities to support local merchants, organizations and educational institutions to become a proud member of each local community.
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Better Place Forests has gone out of their way to keep neighbors informed of their plans and progress, been responsive to our concerns and donated toward our community fund-raising activities.
Hal F.
Neighbor to our Point Arena Forest
Your legacy extends beyond your
tree and forest
tree and forest
Better Place Forests is committed to protecting and nurturing as many acres of forest as possible.
Your memorial tree helps protect a healthy forest ecosystem across the U.S. In an effort to grow your impact, we’ve partnered with the nonprofit One Tree Planted to help reforest America. For each tree you reserve, we plant 25-400 reforestation saplings in your honor in areas that have been impacted by deforestation or forest fires. In 2020 we committed to planting 50,000 reforestation saplings. We're proud to share that we exceeded our goal, with over 81,800 reforestation saplings planted across the country.
You’re not only helping to protect your tree; you’re helping the entire planet.
You’re not only helping to protect your tree; you’re helping the entire planet.
Frequently asked questions
How do you keep forests safe and protect them?
The preservation of your tree and the forest is our top priority. We actively manage our forests based on the advice of forestry professionals.
Our forest protection process includes:
Our forest protection process includes:
- The purchase of land for the express purpose of protecting it from development
- Committing to our customers and communities to protect the land from development
- Launching a stewardship trust to fund long-term care and maintenance
- Eventually placing a conservation easement on the property
What happens in the event of a fire or natural disaster?
By following forest management best practices, our arborists work to reduce the risk of fire damage and disease. If any Better Place Forests forest is affected by a fire or other natural disaster, we will work to restore the forest to health and replant or offer free transfers to families with impacted trees.
Why wouldn’t a landowner just sell their land to a nonprofit conservation group?
We support landowners by providing an efficient and thoughtful way to conserve their land and serve local communities. Your property could become the next beautiful, sustainable memorial forest.
