Our historic and active cemetery is also an urban green space in our community, allowing those who live in the city to escape the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives for a moment.
As part of our nonprofit mission, we prioritize environmental stewardship. We support a natural ecosystem by encouraging our gardeners to use native plants, not using harmful chemicals on the property, and being kind to all living creatures who inhabit our space.
“The Catacombs” at Congressional Cemetery
Historic Congressional Cemetery and the DC Beekeepers Alliance have partnered together to support urban beekeeping, environmental stewardship, and pollinator education in the heart of Washington, DC. As part of this collaboration, Bee Ambassador, Phillip Post helps oversee the cemetery’s thriving apiary and serves as a liaison between the cemetery, the DC beekeeping community, and the roughly one million resident bees that call the cemetery home.
For those unfamiliar with Historic Congressional Cemetery, the presence of bees in a historic burial ground may sound unusual, but it perfectly reflects the cemetery’s mission of creating a vibrant, living “third place” for the community. Located atop the cemetery’s beautiful historic crypts—“The Catacombs”—the apiary supports pollinators, environmental stewardship, and community engagement while adding another layer to the cemetery’s character.
The apiary itself is located in a restricted area for the safety of both visitors and the bees. While the cemetery’s bees are generally docile and focused on pollinating flowers, visitors are encouraged to admire them from a respectful distance. Phillip is always happy to talk about bees, beekeeping, and the fascinating world of pollinators. Visitors can reach him through cemetery staff or by email at beekeeper@congressionalcemetery.buzz.
You can also read more about the DC Beekeepers Alliance using the below link!
We have several community partnerships which influence the success of this work. We are in a long-term relationship with Casey Trees, nonprofit organization on a mission to re-canopy the district. In consort with them, we work to plant more trees on the site and care for those which need tending to ensure a healthy landscape.
Additionally, we have a beautiful space within the cemetery which offers an ode to green space called the Circle of Life. You can learn more about that project here.
We are still an active burial ground, and as such, we incorporate environmental stewardship into our burial options. We are a Certified Hybrid Burial Ground with the Green Burial Council, which indicates that we offer families the option of traditional and green burials. Green burials, sometimes referred to as natural burials, are a type of disposition which is done without the assistance of chemicals and without non-biodegradable containers. At Congressional Cemetery, families can choose to inter their loved ones in a green manner by selecting materials which will return to the earth. Options can include a wicker or pine casket, or even a shrouded burial using biodegradable materials. Grave liners, or vaults, are not used. Families who choose this option also do not embalm their loved ones. The intention is for the person’s remains to fully return to the earth.
If you would like to learn more about green burial from a funeral director, please read the article in our summer 2024 issue of our newsletter, linked here.
We encourage you to visit the space and experience an urban green space for yourself. Listen to the leaves in the fall as the wind moves through the trees, watch squirrels prance and scurry up trunks, and listen to the buzzing of our pollinators in action. Congressional Cemetery welcomes you.
Arboretum & Tree Walk
With the support of a Partners for Plants (P4P) grant awarded by the Garden Club of America and Trowel Garden Club, Congressional Cemetery has launched a three-year partnership to enhance the cemetery’s arboreal landscape in an initiative to become an ‘Accredited Arboretum’. Working closely with Casey Trees, this undertaking will serve to strengthen our tree-focused conservation program within the memorial park.
Circle of Life
Natural or ‘green’ burials are designed to have minimal environmental impact and conserve earth’s resources. Congressional is the only cemetery in Washington DC that offers this eco-friendly option for interment. In keeping with its ecological focus, the Circle of Life is a living memorial to those who choose this simple and sustainable end to their existence.
