It has been a quiet and beautiful time at the Vermont Forest Cemetery. A very mild fall gave us some false confidence and we had hoped to be able to continue tours into December, but winter had another idea!
Winter visits
Although scheduled tours will now be on hold until spring, the cemetery is open to those who wish to visit on their own. The town is excellent about maintaining the access roads. Cemetery Lane and the main trails in the cemetery are cleared within 48 hours after snowfalls. Additional areas of the cemetery are accessible to adventuresome visitors with snowshoes or cross-country skis (with a reminder that motorized vehicles are not allowed at any time except on paved roads and the parking areas). Visits will be rewarded with the beauty of snow on the ground and in the trees, and a fresh idea of the mountain vistas that are obscured by leaves during the warmer months.
As noted in our December Newsletter, visitors are encouraged to be mindful of the weather. Appropriate clothes and boots are must. Snow-tires and four-wheel drive vehicles are strongly encouraged. When in doubt you should park in the upper parking lot and walk down the hill. If you missed the December Newsletter or have questions about our recommendations for visits please contact Jim Hogle by sending and email to info@cemetery.eco. Please see our winter guidelines on our website homepage for more information.
For families who are unable to visit during the winter months we are happy to send you pictures of your loved one’s grave so you can keep in touch. Please Contact Bailey at bailey@cemetery.eco or Jim at info@cemetery.eco.
The cemetery is open for winter burials
We also want to remind everyone that we are open for burials year-round including during Michelle and Paul’s maternity/paternity leave.
Our cemeterian Bailey McLaughlin (bailey@cemetery.eco, 802-234-1454) will be coordinating burials and lot sales, and events;
Nick Neddo and Steve Amell will be filling in for Paul’s Sexton’s duties; and
Jim Hogle (info@cemetery.eco, 802-234-2393) will be answering general questions, helping arrange visits, arranging documentary screenings, and leading monthly Zoom Q&As)
Now for our BIGGEST news of the month!
Although things have been quiet at the Cemetery, great things have taken place in the lives of our founders: Paul and Michelle’s little boy was born in the last of the daylight on the first full day of winter, Sunday December 22 at 4:57pm, 8lbs 1oz, 19.5 inches He is a chatterbox, chill, curious, and very sweet, with just a bit of a flair for the dramatic at times.
Based on these traits they named him Elio Nicola Mercurio Hogle Acciavatti.
They call him Nico.
Everyone is healthy and happy and settling in to learning about each other. They are thrilled and we are so happy for them. Although the next couple of months will be devoted to indoor activities, expect to see Nico tag along with Michelle and Paul once warm weather arrives. However, it may be a while before he begins driving the excavator.
After a short break for the holidays we are ramping up our schedule for programming for the coming months, scheduled activities include:
A showing of the documentary from Earth to Earth at the Lincoln Library, Lincoln, VT on Saturday, January 18th from 4:00-6:00pm.
Online Natural Burial Q&A session on Wednesday January 22nd, 6-7pm.
A showing of the documentary at the Bixby Memorial Free Library in Vergennes on Wednesday January 29th from 5:30-7pm.
Online Natural Burial Q&A session on Wednesday February 12th, 6-7pm.
The Documentary wins another award!
We note with much pride for the Ithaca College students who produced the documentary that it was recognized as the “Best Environmental Documentary of the Winter Season” at the Milan Indie Film Festival in Milan, Italy in December 2024.
Please email info@cemetery.eco to schedule a screening in your area!
As always we are so grateful to all of you for your interest and support!
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