Grieving, is important. Commemorating those we have lost is part of the healing process and memorials contribute to that journey. They allow precious memories to live on through a particular object or place that have special meaning to us.

From beauty spots to pavements, memorials, tributes and shrines are becoming commonplace. But perhaps we should pause, just for a moment, and consider how appropriate they may be? Many such memorials are not environmentally friendly, can be dangerous to nature and can - by some - even be considered littering. I really don’t want to hinder anyone’s grieving process, and I utterly understand losing a loved one is, of course, a very difficult time. But, before we mark anyone’s passing in this manner, perhaps we should consider the unintended impact our choices may have?

Why shouldn’t we leave bouquets?
Most bouquets are wrapped in something. This is bad news for wildlife who may try and eat this packaging or get caught and injured in it – birds may even line their nests with it. Plastic can take hundreds of years to decompose and whilst flowers sometimes come in biodegradable cellophane, it still remains a physical hazard to wildlife for some time.

Should we get some balloons?
Perhaps in a more obvious way than bouquets, balloons leave an environmental mess. If we release a balloon it’s going to come down somewhere – which deposits some rubber, plastic or foil into the ecosystem that will last for centuries and potentially cause serious harm to wildlife.

What about cuddly toys?
Likewise, the synthetic materials that make up a teddy bear can take hundreds of years to break down and all that fluff is a dangerous choking hazard to real animals.

Perhaps we should release sky lanterns?
Like a balloon, a paper lantern is going to descend and litter itself somewhere. More alarmingly, sky lanterns, of course, also mean fire – uncontrolled fire - and we all know the dangers of wildfires. In fact, did you know that, in 2020, thirty animals were killed in a blaze allegedly caused by sky lanterns accidentally descending into a zoo in Germany?

We can plant something though – surely that’s the right thing to do?
Well, possibly – but possibly not. We would need the landowner’s permission to do so; and, even then, we should consider the environmental effects of planting a non-native species. We need to choose wisely, seek professional advice, and stick with a native species that well help nature’s recovery.

Gosh – well what should we do?

• A tasteful flower - Perhaps we should cut a single flower from our garden and lay it down or let it float away on the water as a dignified mark of respect?
• Blow bubbles – Instead of balloons, we could release bubbles, ideally with environmentally sensitive bubble mixture. Of course, all plastics should be recycled when we get home.
• Candlelight vigils – Holding an evening vigil with candles is a beautiful way to commemorate someone but we should always be extremely mindful of fire safety. Jam jars make excellent candle holders which we can personalize and keep afterwards (or easily recycle).
• Sand writing – We can write messages to loved ones on the beach. It’s completely carbon neutral, extremely personal, and does zero damage. We can even return to the spot again and again and write a different message each time.
• Organise a memory walk – If a particular nature reserve was special to the person we’ve lost, we could organise a walk with our friends and family and share that special place together.
• Do nothing – This is my personal choice. Standing on a precious spot to simply embrace our surroundings and remember our loved ones in our hearts can be both humbling and overwhelming. I choose to leave only footprints and memories.

What can NWWT do?

• Approved memorials – NWWT have had the pleasure of arranging many special tributes in remembrance on our reserves over the years and continue to receive many requests for new memorials. When requests are received, our legacy team investigate all options available, but please note that we are not always able to accommodate the request.
• Donate – Why not remember someone simply through a donation to a charity they loved? This can be a very fitting tribute to their memory and passions and NWWT are happy to create a bespoke ‘in-memory’ donation page for you.
   

If you would like to discuss how you can sustainably mark the passing of a friend or family member with NWWT, you can find more information on our gifts in memory page.

Visit our gifts in memory page

This article is not intended to preach. Grieving is hard, and we all process loss in different ways. All I ask is we always consider the unintended impact of our actions from an environmental perspective.