FAQ

What, How, Who, Why…

If a tree dies, it is replaced by us at our cost. 

We use the mulch or seedlings where possible to pass on the energy from the tree. A tree will always be replanted in your chosen location and the site is protected in perpetuity. 

Our biological infusion turns cremated ash into nutrients that provide sustenance to the tree for  seven years; which is a sufficient amount of time for the tree to establish itself with new seeds and  seedlings that will also live on. 

If a tree dies prematurely, one application of bio-liquid to the same area where the tree was planted  re-activates the microbes, which convert the ash into nutrients allowing you to re-plant a new tree  in the same location. 

We also provide a crystal keepsake in which you can retain some of the ashes or some seeds for  future planting. 

Each site has its own fire management plan

For example the Mornington Peninsula site has over 4 kilometres of fully integrated and operational sprinkler systems as well as  enough dam and bore water capacity to provide over 20 litres of water to every tree every day. 

The site was carefully selected as a low risk for fire, flood and drought. The location does not  adjoin any high-risk uncleared bushland and is approximately 300 metres from Western Port bay,  making it a relatively low fire risk location. 

Research conducted by Adelaide’s Centennial Park, found that 160 kilograms of carbon dioxide is produced on the day of a cremation, almost four times more than a burial. Over the long-term the maintenance of a grave site, generates more carbon dioxide then cremation.

Planting a single tree is generally enough to offset the carbon impact of cremation.

For every Legacy Tree planted we plant an additional 400 offset in your name trees locally and abroad to offset the impact of cremation plus contribute more oxygen than the average human breath takes in a lifetime.

Every Living Legacy is acknowledged for leaving the world a better place with trees

While cremation methods have changed over time, ashes do not have a “used by” date. The  Living Legacy procedure has been proven to work with cremated ashes dating back to the 1960s. 

Most people do not realise just how much human cremated ashes weigh, about 3 kg. A little-known  fact is that trees require a pH of around 5-6 to be able to grow, cremated remains have a very high  pH of 12 out of 14. Additionally, the pH of the total salts content is around 2 cups, which is a large  volume. 

For the ashes to help a tree grow, it is not enough to just balance the pH and salt, the tree still just  grows around the ashes to survive. 

Human cremated ashes require treatment before they can help trees grow. Just scattering them  and burying them, even with biodegradable urns, does not help them grow. The urn bio-degrades  and the untreated ashes do not help the tree grow. 

Our organic treatment creates micro-nutrients that help trees grow. This has now been adopted by  leaders in the Cemetery Industry because of its proven growth results. 

Can trees sometimes survive untreated cremated remains? 

Yes, but it is still not good for them. Large established trees can survive the impact of the cremated  remains even with the high pH and salt levels when they are in small amounts. 

When ashes are buried, they set like concrete. Although it is not an environment from which plants  grow, occasionally they grow away from the ashes to survive. The adverse impact of untreated ash  on soil health can last hundreds of years as historic cases have dug up buried cremated remains  confirm. 

Just like with plants in footpaths or roadway medians, some can survive in a tough environment by  growing around objects. The difference with our trees is that they grow from the ashes, continuing  the circle of life. 

Yes, but it is still not good for them. Large established trees can survive the impact of the cremated remains even with the high pH and salt levels when they are in small amounts.

When ashes are buried it sets like concrete. Although it’s not an environment which plants grow from sometimes they grow away from it to survive. The adverse impact of untreated ash on soil health can last hundreds of years as historic cases have dug up buried cremated remains confirm.

Just like with plants in footpaths or roadway medians, some can survive in a tough environment by growing around objects. The difference with our trees is that they grow from the ashes, continuing the circle of life.

Yes you can pre-plant your memorial tree in advance. In fact most of our patrons pre-plant their tree while they are alive and have their treated ashes added to their tree later so that when they die and they wish there could be there for loved ones, their tree can be their for them. Other nominated family members (and pets) can be added to the same tree over time to make a living family tree.

People like to choose a tree that flowers on a significant day like mothers day, fathers day or their birthday so their tree can bring visitors flowers from their tree instead of people bringing cut flowers.

Memorial tree costs vary depending on tree size, location and the number of people going to the same tree. Your Living Legacy Memorial tree includes the ash infusion ceremony which can remove the need for a traditional funeral and its costs. Australia’s Seniors magazine and Gathered Here both state that the median cost of a burial  funeral in Australia is around $19,000 and a Living Legacy Trees in all states start at less than half that cost in some cases almost a third of this.

 

What is the average cost of a funeral in Australia?

Let’s put all of this together:

Average funeral home professional service fee and standard third party fees $6,500

Average headstone cost $3,500

Average right of interment fee $6,000

Average interment fee $2,000

Grave liner $1,000

Average cost of a funeral in Australia $19,000

 

Source: https://www.gatheredhere.com.au/the-average-cost-of-a-funeral-in-australia

 

Seniors Magazine

https://www.seniors.com.au/funeral-insurance/discover/how-much-does-a-funeral-cost

 

Better homes and gardens

https://news.ccansw.org.au/index.php/component/tags/tag/funeral-costs

All locations allow you to have a ceremony on site or at a location of your choosing.  We provide and Legacy Planner celebrant to assist with this. This allows people to create a personalised ceremony which reflects the values, beliefs and wishes of the person it celebrates. 

Wellington Dam Legacy Forest” is a conservation forest that creates native tree habitat for the endangered mainland Quokka, so there are minimal facilities here. While there is a carpark and temporary stands for refreshments we are yet to get council and state approval for toilet facilities.

 

 “Legacy Gardens” at Mornington Green is an upmarket botanic memorial garden with full facilities available including; toilets, licenced cafe, golf carts, planned footpaths, over 3 kilometers of automated sprinkler systems and much more.



If cremation has not occured yet our Legacy planners can coordinate cremation through a trusted local funeral directors so the ash to tree process is seamless. If you want to use a funeral director as part of your ceremony you can still bring your own funeral director. If you already have cremated ashes there is no need to engage a funeral director and we will coordinate the tree planting ceremony, treatment of ash, plaque and certification process.

The 200 offset trees are planted locally (Mornington Peninsula Koala)  and abroad each year by donating to conservation organisations. In Australia we support Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation and are planting at Koala Corridor at 125 Tyabb Tooradin Road, Somerville. We are also planting in Madagascar  to support the rebuild of natural landscapes destroyed by deforestation. Famous for its unique biodiversity and lush forests, Madagascar has some of the rarest animal and plant species on the planet. Tragically, more than 90% of Madagascar’s original forests have been destroyed. ​​The reforestation of mangrove forests in the Mahajanga area of Madagascar. The successful restoration of the mangroves also initiated the return of a healthy aquatic ecosystem: wildlife such as shrimp, algae, and flamingoes have returned to the newly restored area.

All memorial tree forests and gardens are protected by state and local laws protecting the land from development in perpetuity. 

 

Wellington Dam Legacy Forest (Western Australia) is protected by a state government conservation covenant registered on title. The penalty for breaching the covenant includes jail and there are several CCTV cameras setup on site by state government to record the health of the endangered mainland Quokka who’s habitat the community is restoring.

 

Mornington Green Legacy Gardens (Victoria) is protected by a section 173 agreement which is registered with council to ensure the site is not developed. 

 

Access to both sites is available 7 days a week with some public holidays closed. Guided tours can be requested via the local site manager or contact@livinglegacyforest.com.

Step 1. Make contact with Living Legacy Forest as part of your funeral arrangements to choose your tree and location of the tree to be planted. If you need to arrange cremation our Legacy Planners can help coordinate this with you as well.



Step 2. Arrange the planting date or ceremony with friends and family (this can replace the need for a traditional funeral) and liaise with your Living legacy contact to help you plan and personalise the event.  

Step 3. Planting and revisiting. On the day friends and family are involved in the ash treatment and tree infusion ceremony. Handwritten notes can be added to the tree while the tree planting ceremony occurs and the personalised steel plaque is added to the tree. Each tree has its own registration certificate which can be kept with a last will or testament which includes additional information like who else has been nominated to be allowed to be added to your Living Legacy Tree.

We do offer an ashes only treatment service available  during the winter months and upon request. This service has limited availability.

The ashes are carefully handled by our trained arborists using the Living Legacy patented formula and organic treatment which balances the pH and salt levels and shifts the composition of the ash so that it can sustain living soil microbes which can exchange energy and nutrients with the tree in a healthy living soil environment that increases the electrical conductivity of the soil.

 

Untreated cremation ashes weigh about 3kg and have a pH of 12 out of 14 which is the same as bleach and oven cleaner they also contain around a cup of salts which in high levels such as this inhibits photosynthesis.




The final part of the ceremony activates the ashes with the tree’s circle of life by the family taking turns watering the already treated ashes with living microbes as illustrated below.



We acknowledge that some people cannot be cremated due to religious reasons or other and still want to have a Living Legacy memorial tree and be part of creating a new forest. Trees can still be planted with or without ashes and become tributes for memorial trees in their own way.

Biodegradable urns and scattering of untreated ashes are prohibited and banned from all sites due to council, state government and environmental requirements.

Yes. Each tree has a personalised plaque.

Your memorial tree and the plot are reserved for your tree in perpetuity and we will never sell  another tree in your plot area. 

However, the markers and plaques provided are guaranteed only for their Natural Lifetime of the  product and this guarantee does not extend to damage or loss resulting from environmental  factors, force majeure or resulting from any mishandling by you or any of your invitees. 

During this time, we are not liable for maintenance and care for your marker or plaque.

The land is protected by a conservation agreement so the land cannot be developed or logged. The land is cared for by a land trust whose responsibility is to care for the land in perpetuity.

Yes. Different sized trees can have larger volumes of ashes added per tree. By adding multiple sets of ashes to a tree over time it can become a family tree. 

Yes!

You can select and plant a tree today that grows as part of your family history. Your tree can be nourished with the micronutrients from your ashes later on. Additional family members can be added to the same Legacy Tree making it a living family tree. 

Yes!  

The treated ashes of up to 4 people can nourish each Legacy Tree, with the LL Thrive formula being able to be infused into the soil at the base of the tree at different times. 

In this way, your Living Legacy tree becomes a process heirloom passed down through  generations.

Our certified horticulturists will provide ongoing care for the tree in perpetuity, meaning that your  tree will always be looked after for future generations to enjoy. 

Untreated cremated remains are not helpful to tree growth. Independent laboratory tests showed that 90% of seedlings died when planted directly in untreated cremated remains (ash). 

The pH of untreated ash is 12 out of 14, most trees need a pH of about 6 to grow from soil. The pH  scale is logarithmic to the scale of 10 which makes the pH of ash 1,000,000 (1 million) times too  high for healthy growth. 

The Living Legacy treatment shifts the composition of the ash to be able to create micronutrients  and healthy soil which can exchange energy with the tree. 

Biodegradable urns are exactly that, only the urn biodegrades, the cremated remains can remain in  a toxic high pH state for many years harming the soil biology and tree health. At best a tree will  grow around the untreated ashes which tends to form into a salty clump or rock, at worst the  remains will harm or kill the tree, and the soil biology that sustains life. 

Biodegradable urns come in many forms. The most affordable biodegradable urns are simply  made of cardboard and the higher end urns are made of ceramic. Although the urn may be  biodegradable, untreated cremated remains are not. 

Independent laboratory tests showed that 90% of trees planted in untreated cremated remains died  from toxic shock.

You may have noticed that all over the world bones and cremated remains and bones are often  found at ruin sites sometimes 1,000’s of years old. The idea of bio urns is that the ashes create a  tree, the science shows that the roots will grow around or through the cremated remains and in  many cases can harm the roots from the high pH and salinity levels. 

Living Legacy Trees are unique in that the cremated remains are transformed into micronutrient  elements small enough to be transported to tree roots using the LL Thrive formula. LL Thrive  creates a living memorial and path for loved ones to connect to nature in your absence. 

What does my purchase include? 

Your purchase includes the ongoing exclusive right for your ashes and Legacy Tree to be planted  in your Legacy Garden area. 

This right may include the option to permit other people’s ashes to be infused into your tree or  other Legacy Trees within your Legacy Garden area.

Your purchase includes the ongoing exclusive right to for your ashes and Legacy Tree to be planted in your Legacy Garden area.

This right may include the option to permit other people’s ashes to be infused into your tree or into other Legacy Trees within your Legacy Garden area.

Forest Conservation Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 59 639 330 617 ) is dedicated to providing the best possible experience to you and your family.

Your purchase is protected under Australian Consumer Law (“ACL”) and Mornington Green  provides additional warranties as part of our commitment to excellence.

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