Laura Starkey founded Heartwood Preserve, a 41-acre conservation cemetery in New Port Richey, to offer eco-friendly burial options that protect natural land. Since its inception in 2016, the popularity of green burials has quadrupled nationwide as Americans seek more natural end-of-life solutions. These burials avoid embalming chemicals and concrete vaults, placing bodies directly into the earth in biodegradable containers. The practice not only benefits the environment by reducing carbon emissions compared to cremation but also offers significant cost savings for families. Heartwood ensures long-term land protection through agreements with land trusts, preventing future development on the preserved grounds. Families appreciate the personal connection to nature and the simplicity of returning loved ones to the earth without traditional funeral industry excesses. Starkey has expanded her mission by helping found the Conservation Burial Alliance to educate others on these sustainable practices.
Heartwood Preserve Leads Florida’s Eco-Friendly Burial Movement in New Port Richey
