Newsletter 3.4.2024
Hi there! It’s Tony Mayotte. Welcome to the first newsletter for Jeremiah Commons and Pin Oak Preserve! We hope to send these brief letters every month to share progress and reflections as we grow. This first newsletter is going to our subscribers and the many folks we’ve met with over the last year who have graciously shared their wisdom and experience, whether in the classroom, over coffee, or in a ZOOM meeting. If you’d like to remain on this subscriber list, you’re on it! Otherwise, you can easily hop off with the unsubscribe link below.
What started as a vision that Shari and I had while living in Durham, NC has slowly taken shape into a growing community of supporters throughout Southern MI and around the country. Since moving back to Jackson, MI this past summer, we’ve had the opportunity to connect with folks like you, folks who are interested in restoring the land and our relationship with it through natural burial and shared land ownership. With a firm commitment to equity and justice, Jeremiah Commons hopes to be a place where all people of Southern Michigan can have access to natural space in which they can grieve loss, grow and share food, and delight and worship in nature. These goals align with our three projects built out in three phases. Learn more about those phases here.
As we imagined, most of the interest from the community, and the energy on our part, has revolved around phase 1, starting the conservation cemetery—Pin Oak Preserve. We are hoping to acquire land by 2026 in which to plant the Jeremiah Commons vision and first and foremost, we are looking for land suitable to create a conservation cemetery. A conservation cemetery is a nature sanctuary that is preserved for the community, forever, where loved ones can be laid to rest free of harsh chemicals, metal caskets, cement vaults, and any non-biodegradable impediments that stop the body’s return to the soil. The environmental and social benefits of green burial are amazing—you can learn more here. As there are only 23 conservation cemeteries in the country, we are grateful to those who have paved this path in communities across America and especially grateful to the few groups who have been helpful companions along the way. Southern MI has its own unique culture with its vibrant communities and special ecosystems. This brings with it unique gifts and we have been so encouraged by the support you all have shown. Creating a conservation cemetery takes time. While we will continue to build relationships in the conservation and deathcare communities and with faith communities, here are some bulleted highlights of our progress so far and hopes for the future!
Since moving back to MI, we have...
Listened to the community of Jackson, MI and the surrounding area to re-discover what makes this place and its people feel alive.
Formed a Board of Directors with a heart for and experience in communal land restoration.
Filed articles of incorporation as a non-profit organization through the State of Michigan.
Applied for 501(c)3 tax-exempt status with the IRS.
Went live with our website.
Started sharing the vision with friends, neighbors and the greater Southern Michigan community. (Really, anyone who will listen!)
Our hopes and goals for the next three months. We hope to…
Continue sharing this vision with the Southern MI community.
Build more relationships with key stakeholders in end-of-life care and land conservation.
Partner with faith communities, conservation organizations and like-minded individuals who are already doing good land and good food work in beautiful and creative ways.
Plan a large communal gathering to celebrate the summer season and share more about Jeremiah Commons and Pin Oak Preserve. Stay tuned!
What can you do?
Meet with us. If you are in the Southern MI area and have an interest in meeting with me or one of our board members, we would love to meet for coffee (or over ZOOM) or even get a few of your friends, small group, or garden group together to talk about natural burial. Shoot us a text or email or fill out our contact form!
Give a gift. Our initial goal is $5,000. Though this will not purchase any land, these funds will help pay for the costs to research and apply for land acquisition grants, join non-profit and conservation networking groups, fund resources for spreading the vision (brochures, presentations, website costs, etc.) as well as our first large gathering. You can give a secure donation here. Though we will continue working with community partners and applying for grants, Jeremiah Commons will always be a community supported space. A space by the community and for the community.
Spread the word. Many of these projects across the country grow like wildfire by word of mouth. If you know someone who might be interested in natural burial or communal land restoration, share our website with them!
Have a creative idea for land? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Shoot us a text or email or fill out our contact form!
That’s all for now! Follow us on Instagram or Facebook or check out our upcoming blog posts on our website for more updates. You can also subscribe below.
With a grateful heart,
Tony Mayotte
517-879-7829
Info@jeremiahcommons.com