Day in the Life of a Green Cemetery Director

A Day in the Life of a Green Cemetery Director will be an in-depth discussion with John Christian Phifer, a licensed funeral director and executive director of Tennessee's first conservation burial ground, Larkspur Conservation.

Are you curious about what it takes to open a new cemetery? Or are you interested in green burial options and ways to reduce your ecological footprint post mortem? Reserve your spot today and prepare a few questions to ask because our second Day in the Life installment is sure to be another thought-provoking and informative online event!

A Day in the Life” Q&A is an interview series hosted by Keeper and TalkDeath featuring professionals from the deathcare and end-of-life space.

About John Christian

Licensed as a funeral director and embalmer, certified end-of-life doula, funeral celebrant, and a home funeral guide, John Christian currently serves as the Executive Director of Larkspur Conservation. He has led Larkspur’s creation of Tennessee’s first conservation burial ground, a nature preserve for natural burial.

John Christian is a member of the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association, the National Home Funeral Alliance and a founding member of Conservation Burial Alliance. He received his formal education from John A. Gupton College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he earned a degree in mortuary science and funeral arts. Further studies include home funeral guide training through Final Passages, Sebastopol, CA and end-of-life doula certification through the Conscious Dying Institute, Boulder, CO.

Since his professional career began in 1998, he has worked in small town settings and in large metropolitan funeral homes and cemeteries. In the fall of 2012, John Christian embarked on a cross-country journey by train, speaking with Americans about their wishes with regards to death, burial, and commemoration. On this trip he learned what options were most important to Americans at the end-of-life and pledged to create a mindful end-of-life option for ALL. Today, he holds a deep respect for mother nature and works to educate and empower the public by bridging environmental advocacy and end-of-life care.