Larkspur Conservation is Tennessee’s first and only nonprofit offering natural burial options on a protected nature preserve. Larkspur's 161-acre Taylor Hollow property in Sumner County protects green spaces while welcoming hikers and providing a unique place to rest for departed loved ones. I chatted with Executive Director John Christian Phifer to learn about natural burials and how Larkspur Conservation works.
What drew you to the idea of natural burials?
“I was the barefoot kid that dug graves for bugs using a kitchen fork, and had little funerals in the woods where I grew up. I began my career 26 years ago. I spent 15 of those years working in traditional funeral homes and conventional cemeteries, where I learned a lot and grew as a professional. After some time, what once called me to care for the dead called me to extend my care to the natural world. In my quest to reimagine what a funeral could look like, a goal of mine was to be a part of creating a green burial project. I got that chance in 2013 when Becca Stevens, founder and president of Thistle Farms, reached out with the hope of creating reform in funeral care. Larkspur Conservation was formalized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2013, and by 2018, I had created Tennessee's first nature preserve for natural burial. We have served hundreds of families, saved hundreds of acres of land, and continue to reimagine what the funeral process looks like in our area.”
How does your partnership with The Nature Conservancy work?
“Larkspur's mission is to conserve land through a revival of natural burial practices. When we say ‘conserve,’ we mean protect indefinitely from urban sprawl, clear-cutting, mining, subdivision, etc. A conservation easement is a legally binding deed restriction that forever protects land from these harms and misuses. Our conservation easement was negotiated and agreed upon with The Nature Conservancy. Larkspur owns the land, but The Nature Conservancy monitors its ecological health, annually guaranteeing that the activities occurring upon the land do not harm nature. We are the first project of its type to be protected by The Nature Conservancy, which protects and monitors 119 million acres globally. We consider our partnership the gold standard within the conservation burial movement.”
What do you love most about visiting Larkspur?
“I most love being able to walk in peaceful nature, and feeling connected to something bigger than myself. I love visiting with hikers and nature lovers along the trail who may be out for exercise, or who may be visiting a loved one's grave site. Larkspur is about community, and it's about care.”
