About Us

Why does Aeon Woods exist?

The American funereal process is not integrated with life—not personally, culturally, or ecologically. As disconnected as the process is today, it will likely become worse. There is increasing interest by private equity and other corporations to target this $23B, 80% family-owned industry as a source for profit.

“Death was once viewed as a natural part of life and encountered with equanimity… however, this perception changed over time, and in the modern period death became denied, invisible, medicalized, and something to be feared.” (The Hour of Our Death, Philippe Aries)

Aeon Woods aims to bring humanity, sustainability, affordability, and life—into death.

What does Aeon Woods mean?

In Greek mythology, there are 3 gods that represent time:

• Chronos, who is linear time
• Kairos, who is opportune/perfect time
• Aion, who is eternal, cyclical, and seasonal time.

“Aeon” is a secularized spelling and can be pronounced “AY-on” or “EE-on,” depending on how British you want to sound.

In essence, we are all made of “star stuff.” The molecules in our bodies came from the stars and were once part of plants, animals, and rocks, and will continue to transform and take on new forms. As this eternal cycle unfolds, we choose to support and nurture nature along the way.

What’s wrong with regular old burials?

Burial practices and traditional cemetery maintenance damage the lands they are on in ways that are difficult to reverse. The value of these practices is questionable as we bury toxic and expensive materials, leaving little tangible benefit for the effort involved.

• Synthetic fabrics, plastics, and metals in caskets leach chemicals into the soil and do not biodegrade. Concrete liners are often assembled in the ground for caskets to go in, rather than burying caskets directly in the ground.
• Manicured lawns require excessive water, pesticides, and fertilizers, which harm ecosystems and deplete resources. Native vegetation is often removed which reduces biodiversity.
• Caskets are often made from exotic hardwoods which contribute to deforestation and biodiversity loss. Transporting wood and other materials over long distances unnecessarily increases greenhouse gas emissions.

Taken all together, burials as we do them today are out of step with nature and unsustainable.

Well what about cremation?

Although often viewed as a more environmental and space-saving alternative, cremation has notable environmental downsides.

• Toxic emissions. In addition to releasing CO₂ from combustion, mercury (from dental fillings) and other heavy metals are often released. Combustion of synthetic materials from clothing and casket linings release dioxins and furans, and cremating an embalmed body releases chemicals like formaldehyde; all are harmful to living beings, but much more so in airborne forms.
• Fuel consumption. The high temperatures required (1,400-2,000°F) contribute to fossil fuel depletion and carbon emissions.

Beyond that, did you know it takes even higher temperatures to reduce bone to ash? Crematoriums can’t do it so they simply grind the remaining bones to produce cremains.

Tell me more about Aeon Woods?

Aeon Woods joins a growing movement in green burials. This project aims to bring sustainability and connectedness to burials and beyond. Our mission is to:

• Care for the dead with minimal impact to the living (health and environment).
• Have burials in a land conservation where the body can return to a natural cycle.
• Create opportunities for personal and cultural involvement.
• Once up and running, establish financial operations to be self-sustaining as a non-profit. Cost to family/friends will be lower than a typical funeral.
• Once a location is successfully up and running, create a framework for future locations.
• Pay living wages at a minimum, and ideally be competitive with commercial industries to allow opportunity for people of all backgrounds to live and work their values.

Why the obsession with graves, HK?

I immigrated to the US from South Korea with my family at the age of 8. In the decades since of visiting family back in Korea, more than 50% of each trip was allotted to visiting graves. My family had lived over 30 generations on the same land, valued and performed a complex set of memorials, and was anchored in those rituals. Comparatively, my life in the US was a veritable desert without extended family and the physicality of intergenerational connection.

I began visiting random cemeteries during college, including getting lost and subsequently locked in one in Queens, NY. I was drawn to discovering the variances of traditions, geography, and families. Visiting a cemetery became a part of every vacation I took as a facet of experiencing the culture—a practice that my own family is mildly amused by.