A Science Teacher's Final Environmental Lesson
From a Viking funeral fantasy to sustainable reality.
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A Science Teacher's Final Environmental Lesson
From a Viking funeral fantasy to sustainable reality.
For Cheryl Buettner, a San Diego-based middle school science teacher with 32 years in the classroom, planning is a way of life.
From daily lesson plans to family dinners, she wanted her death to have a detailed plan for her family.
As an environmentalist, Cheryl knew a traditional burial or cremation was not the right choice for her. She wanted something aligned with her values. She began her end-of-life planning journey with an unusual fantasy— a Viking funeral complete with a burning barge and a flaming arrow shot by a former student.
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But reality had other plans. "A little illegal, not very environmentally friendly," she admits with a laugh. "So as much as I loved the idea, the reality was not a good one."
An Unexpected Discovery
After foot surgery left Cheryl in a cast and largely homebound, she found herself with something she rarely had during the school year: time.
While scrolling through Facebook—"I'm a little bit of a Facebook addict, I have to admit"—an advertisement caught her attention. Earth Funeral was offering live webinars with Q&A about human composting.
"It perfectly meets my needs and my mindset," Cheryl recalls. "So I attended the [webinar], and I was so incredibly impressed."
Nature as Sacred Space
For Cheryl, her connection to nature runs deeper than professional interest—it's spiritual. Being confined to her home during recovery highlighted just how essential the natural world is to her wellbeing.
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When asked about her relationship with nature, Cheryl's voice takes on a reverent tone. "It absolutely does refresh your soul. It's something that can help your mindset so greatly. It's a chance to mentally reset. It is my happy place. It is the place where I feel like I can thrive."
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Her funeral plans reflect this deep connection. Cheryl has specific locations in mind for her soil to be spread: Yosemite National Park, where she made countless memories camping and hiking with her family, and Lovers Point in Monterey, where she used to scuba dive.
The Science Behind the Choice
As a science teacher who formerly ran an environmental learning center, Cheryl understood the negative environmental impact of traditional burial and cremation. Her background made Earth Funeral's process particularly meaningful.
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Cheryl taught students about composting, showing them how organic waste could be transformed into rich, fertile soil. The parallel to human composting was immediately clear.
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The environmental benefit of Earth Funeral's process resonated deeply. "That environmental component was so important to me," Cheryl says. "You're taking your body and converting it into something that can safely be reintroduced into the environment."
The Gift of Planning Ahead
As a self-described planner who's "all about having all my little ducks in a row," Cheryl approached end-of-life planning with characteristic thoroughness.
"I don't want [my children] to feel like they have to think, 'What would mom want?' I wanted to make it as easy as possible," Cheryl shares.
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The simplicity of Earth Funeral's process particularly appealed to her. "One of the benefits that I absolutely love is that it's a simple matter of a phone call," Cheryl notes. She gave her family members cards with Earth Funeral’s phone number and said, “If anything were to happen, call this number and it's all taken care of."
Questions Answered
What sealed the deal for Cheryl was the comprehensive nature of Earth Funeral's informational meeting. "We went far beyond the time that was allotted just because so many people had questions," she recalls. "I really, really appreciated their willingness to make us all feel like we were being heard and our questions were being answered."
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One question particularly resonated with her circumstances. After years of motorcycle riding and multiple surgeries, Cheryl has "a lot of hardware" in her body—plates, screws, and bolts from various reconstructive procedures.
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"One of the questions that came up was, 'Well, what happens to those things when your body is being composted?'" she remembers. "I loved the answer that those items are collected by Earth Funeral after the process, and they go to a medical supply recycling company, and the money from that actually goes back into conservation projects."
A Natural Conclusion
Today, with her Earth Funeral plans in place, Cheryl feels a profound sense of peace. "It's wonderful. It's a huge peace of mind knowing that all of these details have already been taken care of," she says.
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For someone who has spent decades teaching students about environmental stewardship, choosing Earth Funeral feels like a natural extension of values she's lived by. "I’ve found a way, even in death, to support the environment as I've tried to do in life," she explains.
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From Viking funeral fantasy to a human composting reality, Cheryl found what she was looking for: a way to nurture the natural world she's always treasured, one final time.
More Lasting Legacies
A Doctor's Pre-Planning Prescription
For Ryan Bell, cemeteries have always been sacred places of story and connection, not sadness. Growing up in Alaska, his grandparents lived beside a state cemetery where family gatherings took on special meaning.
Eternal Love in the Garden
After 53 years of marriage, Emily honors Wayne's love for nature by transforming him into soil, nurturing their cherished circle garden and planning a new memorial space that captures his adventurous spirit.
I See Life In This Plant
After Kenneth's passing, Dianne found healing through Earth Funeral's human composting process. She mixed his soil into a struggling houseplant that flourished, creating what she calls "a slow goodbye" and keeping his presence alive in their home.
