“Heartwood is located on land that has been in the family since the 1930s in what is now a suburban corridor outside Tampa Bay, with three quarters of the original ranch that my grandfather owned now under conservation. Heartwood is in a unique location with a main boulevard with bike path, that is developing quickly. I feel spiritually connected to the woods that I can now share with other people. The area is a longleaf pine flatwoods ecosystem, now endangered, and less than a tenth of what it was, that requires prescribed fires. We use the cemetery to educate the community about controlled burns. I started by creating business and financial plans, visited Ramsey Creek and Prairie Creek, had lots of talks, and spent time together with family members. Then I had to consider how to market it, for profit or nonprofit, and how to present it. The real help came from working with other cemetery owners while overcoming obstacles and legal challenges.”
Visit the Conservation Burial Alliance to read the complete story.