Woodlawn Cemetery Opens Green Burial Site, Eternal Meadow April 1
On Saturday, April 1, 2017 at 11 a.m., Santa Monica’s historic Woodlawn Cemetery, Mortuary & Mausoleum will hold the opening ceremony of Eternal Meadow, the Cemetery’s new “green” or natural burial section.
“In keeping with the City of Santa Monica’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, Eternal Meadow offers families an eco-friendly burial option,” said Dean Kubani, Assistant Director of Public Works and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Woodlawn is the second cemetery in Southern California to offer green burial.”
Green burials minimize environmental damage because no toxic chemicals, metals, or cement vaults are used. One is buried in a simple wooden casket or in an organic shroud. Green burial hastens the return of the body to the earth while simultaneously providing nourishment to the plant life around it. It is a meaningful way to honor the life of a loved one. Eternal Meadow was specifically designed with beautiful California-native wild flowers, plants, and grasses.
Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis and other City officials will join Woodlawn staff for a ribbon cutting and a butterfly release is planned to celebrate Woodlawn’s recent designation as a Monarch Butterfly Waystation.
After the ceremony, the public is invited to enjoy a Living History Tour. Costumed guides portraying notable women and men interred at Woodlawn share their stories and contributions to culture, history, and society. Other activities will include:
- Eco-themed craft activities and event booths
- Light refreshments
- "Movies in the Mausoleum”
- Photography exhibit produced by students of the Santa Monica College Photography Department
Food will be available for purchase from Los Tamaleros and Churros Don Abel.
Free parking for this event can be found at Santa Monica College’s Lot 4 at 16th St. & Pico Blvd. Big Blue Bus Lines 7, Rapid 7, and 41 serve the Cemetery. The Cemetery is wheelchair accessible. For those requiring assistance, shuttle service inside the Cemetery will be provided.
For updates and information about Woodlawn Cemetery, Mortuary & Mausoleum events and services, visit http://www.woodlawnsm.com or call (310) 458-8717. While the event is free, please RSVP through this Facebook event.
- Submitted by Constance Farrell, Public Information Officer
Main Library
Movie Screening and Discussion: Sold at Santa Monica Public Library
Santa Monica Public Library presents Movie Screening and Discussion: Sold on Saturday, April 1, at 2 p.m. in the Main Library’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Blvd.
Sold is a call to action that brings to light the horrors of trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls in India. This award-winning, narrative feature film adaptation of Patricia McCormick’s bestselling novel humanizes its victims through the story of one girl who is forced into sexual slavery. A panel discussion follows the screening. Dr. Joseph Metoyer, a pastor/teacher of ACTS – A Church That Studies, will be moderating the discussion. Panelists include Daliah Setareh, an attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Gary Rhoades, a deputy attorney for the city of Santa Monica, and Sandra Fluke, an attorney and women’s rights activist. Co-sponsored by The Rotary Club of Santa Monica. (Film runtime: 94 min.)
This program is free and open to all ages. Seating is limited and on a first arrival basis. The Santa Monica Public Library is wheelchair accessible. For special disabled services, call Library Administration at (310) 458-8606 one week prior to event. The Main Library is directly served by Big Blue Bus lines 1, R10, and 18. The Expo Line and other bus routes stop nearby. Ride your bike. Bicycle parking racks are available at the library.
- Submitted by Jen Ullrich, Public Services Librarian
