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A natural alternative to cemeteries in the St. Croix Valley
What is the Memorial Trees for Heroes program?
Their “Memorial Trees for Heroes” initiative gives frontline heroes a serene resting place, a personalized memorial service and a legacy of conservation. The company is first offering memorial trees from its protected coastal Mendocino County forest, where families of fallen frontline workers across the country may enroll to reserve a tree. The Memorial Trees for Heroes initiative provides up to $1 million worth of memorial trees to healthcare providers, caregivers and first responder professionals who gave their lives in the fight against COVID-19 at no cost.
The offer aims to give frontline heroes the legacy reflective of the brave sacrifice they’ve made and to help provide some solace for grieving families and loved ones. Funeral and memorial planning can be an incredibly stressful and expensive endeavor. The average traditional burial costs around $8,755, and we hope to ease the burden and cost of planning a memorial for your hero.
It’s our small way of saying thank you for your hero’s incredible service to our country.
What is Better Place Forests?
Better Place Forests offers private memorial trees in a protected conservation memorial forest. Ashes are mixed with soil and returned to the base of the tree during a personalized memorial ceremony, where a customized bronze memorial marker is placed. To learn more about the process, click here. Memorial trees offer frontline heroes a peaceful resting place, a personalized memorial service and a legacy of conservation.
Schedule a free online tour to guarantee your spot in our St. Croix Valley forest
Our serene coastal California forest features stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
Point Arena, California
Where are the memorial trees located?
We’ll begin by offering trees to frontline heroes in our coastal California forest in Mendocino county.
To serve areas most impacted by COVID-19, we are seeking to expand to heavily impacted states like New York.
We want to help covid19 impacted areas
FAQs
Can I apply if I don’t live in California?
Yes the Memorial Trees for Heroes is for healthcare providers, caregivers, and first response professionals across America.
The timeline for memorial services in Point Arena is subject to shelter-in-place guidelines for the State of California, Mendocino County, and Better Place Forests. As soon as we are able, we will open the forest to visitors and begin scheduling Memorial Ceremonies. We are happy to begin the planning process with you in advance of opening the forest.
When will a ceremony take place?
Better Place Forests purchases beautiful forest land and conserves it for future generations. We offer private memorial trees in a protected memorial conservation forest. Ashes are mixed with soil and returned to the base of the tree during a personalized memorial ceremony. A customized bronze memorial marker is placed at the tree marking the location.
How does Better Place Forests work?
We would be happy to put you in touch with an Advisor who can tell you more about purchasing a memorial tree.
What if I don’t qualify but am interested in a memorial tree with Better Place Forests?
We are reviewing applications as quickly as possible and will aim to reach out to you within 48 hours of your submission. For those who qualify, we’ll answer any questions you have and discuss the details of selecting a memorial tree for your hero.
When and how will I be contacted?
We will need a death certificate and verification of your hero’s occupation and place of employment. The customer care team will review documentation requirements with you in detail on their call.
What documentation do you require?
When you come to this forest you leave here feeling better. You leave here feeling healed and nurtured and hopeful.
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If you have land you would like to dedicate to the program, we’d love to be in touch. Fill out this form and a member of our real estate team will reach out.
Do you own forestland you’d like to dedicate to frontline heroes?
A more meaningful, more affordable resting place
"Not only is a traditional service roughly twice the cost, but you're very limited on what you get out of it."
A final resting place worth talking about
Our customers choose Better Place Forests for deeply personal reasons: our stunning locations, a more personal memorial option or a beautiful place for loved ones to reflect. Many also comment on our caring team that is there every step of the way. Hear more straight from our customers.
Enter your email to learn more about the memorial forest through an online tour.
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Call us anytime at 877-830-8311
See why thousands have chosen trees, not tombstones
Better Place Forests offers a natural alternative to cemeteries.
Your ashes are placed beneath a private tree in a peaceful forest where your loved ones can visit and remember you.
A beautiful way to remember
A more beautiful resting place
Continue the cycle of life when your ashes are mixed with soil and returned to the base of your tree.
A personal memorial ceremony
Your forest steward will help shape a memorial ceremony that reflects your unique personality.
A legacy of protected landscapes
Your memorial helps conserve open spaces and reforest America.
St. Croix Valley is a stunning location with 2,500 feet of lakefront trees located near Big Marine Lake in Scandia, just 45 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The property features hills and ridges with expansive views of the forest, lake, and a tranquil pond. This space serves as a habitat for bald eagles and a variety of migrating birds. In the fall, oaks and maples create a striking display for visitors to enjoy.
Our St. Croix Valley Forest is a peaceful sanctuary for families to reflect and remember their loved ones. We'd be honored to welcome you and your loved ones.
Click to learn more about the memorial forest and reservations.
St. Croix Valley is a stunning location with 2,500 feet of lakefront trees located near Big Marine Lake in Scandia, just 45 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul.
This forest is a peaceful sanctuary for families to reflect and remember their loved ones.
See why thousands have chosen trees not tombstones
Your ashes are placed beneath a private tree in a peaceful forest where your loved ones can visit and remember you.
A more beautiful resting place
Continue the cycle of life when your ashes are mixed with soil and returned to the base of your tree.
A personal memorial ceremony
Your forest steward will help shape a memorial ceremony that reflects your unique personality.
A legacy of protected landscapes
Your memorial helps conserve open spaces and reforest America.
“As opposed to going to a cemetery and going back each year to grieve the loss of a loved one…going to a forest and being in that peaceful place, I think that’s a great idea.”
“It’s good for the environment, the location is more beautiful than a traditional graveyard, and it’s cheaper as well.”
“The conservation memorial forest is...gaining popularity as baby boomers and younger people search for more meaningful, environmentally friendly resting places.”
FAQs
How much does a Better Place Forests tree memorial cost?
Pricing is based on several factors, including: location, setting (views, water features, etc.), tree type and size, and the number of spreading rights. A traditional burial, plot and headstone costs around $15,000. Better Place Forests offers a range of packages at less than half the cost of a traditional burial.
Can I spread my pets’ ashes around my memorial tree?
Yes! We view pets as part of the family and encourage the inclusion of pets in your memorial.
You can choose from a variety of beloved native tree species, including many types of oak, bigtooth aspen, ironwood, and the distinctive paper birch.
What tree species are in the forest?
Where is Better Place Forests Saint Croix Valley located?
Our beautiful 112-acre forest is located 5 minutes from downtown Scandia, a popular weekend getaway, and 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. This quintessential Minnesota forest features 2,500 feet of lakefront trees.
FAQs
Pricing is based on several factors, including: location, setting (views, water features, etc.), tree type and size, and the number of spreading rights. A traditional burial, plot and headstone costs around $15,000. Better Place Forests offers a range of packages at less than half the cost of a traditional burial.
How much does a Better Place Forests tree memorial cost?
Our beautiful 112-acre forest is located 5 minutes from downtown Scandia, a popular weekend getaway, and 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. This quintessential Minnesota forest features 2,500 feet of lakefront trees.
Where is Better Place Forests Saint Croix Valley located?
Yes! We view pets as part of the family and encourage the inclusion of pets in your memorial
Can I spread my pets’ ashes around my memorial tree?
You can choose from a variety of beloved native tree species, including many types of oak, bigtooth aspen, ironwood, and the distinctive paper birch.
What tree species are in the forest?
“The conservation memorial forest is...gaining popularity as baby boomers and younger people search for more meaningful, environmentally friendly resting places.”
“As opposed to going to a cemetery and going back each year to grieve the loss of a loved one…going to a forest and being in that peaceful place, I think that’s a great idea.”
“It’s good for the environment, the location is more beautiful than a traditional graveyard, and it’s cheaper as well.”
A natural alternative to cemeteries in the St. Croix Valley
Originally aired 10/1/20