The long way to Laude natural cemetery

The new nature cemetery is located on the edge of the village of Laude, not far from the Ruiten Aa Canal, in a wooded nature reserve of more than 60 hectares.

Heidehof in Eext

Trees were already planted decades ago by some owners of that land. They also received a subsidy for this through a scheme, says Bert Speulman. He works for the Heidehof estate in Eext, which has various nature reserves.

,,I knew those owners and when that arrangement expired, we bought that forest area, that was several years ago now,” says Speulman.

It was not surprising that the idea of ​​creating a natural cemetery in the acquired area was then born. There are such facilities in more nature reserves that Heidehof has. Also in Eext itself, where the nature cemetery is called Hillig Meer. It’s been around for years.

Flag bet

“When we acquired the area, it was still in the municipality of Vlagtwedde,” Speulman said. “In 2018, the new municipality of Westerwolde was created and we put our plan on the table there.”

The mayor and aldermen responded positively, also because there was no natural cemetery in the southeast of Groningen. The closest one was near Winschoten. One problem, however, was that the province of Groningen had drawn up guidelines for natural cemeteries in which Laude was not mentioned as a location. The municipal authorities managed to change the guidelines.

10 to 12 hectares

In the spring of last year, the city council finally said ‘yes’, which finally gave the green light and the forest area was adapted in such a way that people can be buried on 10 to 12 hectares. “The first funeral took place in the fall of last year,” says Janny Boonstra.

She worked for years at the Hillig Meer resting place, but now does so for the new organization set up for ‘Laude’. With two colleagues, she arranges, among other things, the distribution of graves. The building next to the nature cemetery is their headquarters. “We receive interested parties and show them the area. We have already had several funerals. There is quite a lot of interest from people from the region and further afield.”

Bert Speulman likes to hear that. He is not so much concerned with the cemetery and burial, but he does watch over the entire forest area in which that facility is located. And the proceeds from the cemetery are also partly for the maintenance of the forest.

Funeral directors

It will be unusually busy in the forest on Saturday. The natural cemetery will then be officially opened. “We give guided tours and there is an information market at our building where funeral directors and other organizations are involved with burials and natural burials,” says Janny Boonstra.

The building in which she and her colleagues work is still the subject of discussion with the municipality. He has found that it has too many square meters of surface.