Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Reimagining the Cemetery as Museum | Page 6

Memorial Trees
Program
By David Barnett, President & CEO, Mount Auburn Cemetery

Mount Auburn’s trees are among the Cemetery’s
most treasured possessions. Majestic symbols of life, they
have long provided comfort to the bereaved and inspiration
to our visitors. They also have important habitat value for
our resident wildlife and help cleanse our polluted urban
air, connecting us to the larger natural world. In addition,
about 50 specimens from our collection have taken on a
most fitting role as memorial trees.
Through Mount Auburn’s Memorial Trees program,
plaques engraved with the names and dates of the individuals
being commemorated have been placed on selected trees
throughout the Cemetery. Since the program began over
20 years ago, families have been able to select an existing
tree to serve as a memorial for a loved one, based on its
proximity to a location of importance, its aesthetic qualities, or personal symbolic meaning. The plaques have been
guaranteed for terms of 10 or 20 years, with options to
renew or extend the length of time that they remain on
our trees.
Changing ideas about burial and commemoration, and
particularly the growing interest in natural burials, have
led Mount Auburn to expand its existing Memorial Trees
program. While families may continue to select from
mature trees in our existing collection, we now also offer
the opportunity to plant a new tree and place a memorial
plaque in honor of an individual. Family and friends will be
able to participate in the actual planting of the tree at the
appropriate season. The memorial plaque may be mounted
on a granite or wooden post next to the tree. Horticultural
staff will provide a selection of tree species to choose from,
taking into account the historic landscape character and
other curatorial guidelines of the desired location. Our
Memorial Trees program will be of particular interest to
families choosing one of our new natural burial locations,
where no other physical marker is allowed. Memorial tree
plantings also allow families to commemorate those not
buried at Mount Auburn, adding an individualized meaning
to a beloved location.
Through our Memorial Trees program, we can extend
our ability to celebrate life and continue our commitment
to providing a landscape of exceptional natural beauty. To
learn more about this program, visit www.mountauburn.
org/MemorialTrees.

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