The PPG meeting on June 16 will be a field trip to The Natural Burial Company, 3954 N. Williams Ave. in Portland, where we will have a tour and talk by the owner, Cynthia Beal. This new business features biodegradable caskets and ash burial urns, along with handmade and hard-to-find grave goods.

The Natural Burial Company has a meeting room and kitchen, and we will have our usual potluck there starting at 6:00 pm. Bring your own plate, cup, and utensils, and a dish to share. Cynthia's talk will start at 7:00 pm.

Cynthia is also the author of the soon-to-be published book "Be a Tree, the Natural Burial Guide for Turning Yourself into a Forest." When complete, "Be a Tree" will be published by New Society Publishers.

Cynthia will also tell us about a current topic she is exploring for the Village Building Convergence next year - "Cemetery Repair" - as one of the City Repair projects. She would like our feedback on this.

To learn more about natural burial, and to see photos of The Natural Burial Company's current products, visit <http://www.naturalburialcompany.com> and http://www.beatree.com.