{"podcast":{"title":"The Forest School Podcast","slug":"the-forest-school-podcast-1141815","podcast_index_feed_id":1141815,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/3faf584/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://www.theforestschoolpodcast.com","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/567785/567785-1759568785576-d60f1cc966b6a.jpg","author":"Lewis Ames and Wem Southerden","episode_count":252,"summary":"Wem Southerden & Lewis Ames have run Forest School and training centre Children of the Forest since 2017. The Forest School Podcast was born when they wondered if their daily wafflechats and reflections about pedagogy, play and nature connection might be of interest to others. The podcast aims to inform and support educators, parents, outdoor and play practitioners and anyone interested in nature and the outdoors. Through book reviews – interviews with experts, practitioners and authors – sharing our experience as educators and business owners – deep dives on fascinating topics –","last_synced_at":"2026-07-25T18:20:39.739581+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-forest-school-podcast-1141815"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 224 - Green Burials and Forest School Farewells w/ The Modern Mortician","slug":"ep-224-green-burials-and-forest-school-farewells-w-the-modern-mortician","published_at":"2025-08-09T06:33:29+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-forest-school-podcast-1141815/ep-224-green-burials-and-forest-school-farewells-w-the-modern-mortician","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-forest-school-podcast-1141815","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theforestschoolpodcast/episodes/Ep-224---Green-Burials-and-Forest-School-Farewells-w-The-Modern-Mortician-e36kc4l","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/3faf584/podcast/play/106622549/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-7-8%2F405349680-44100-2-1c421d71feb19.mp3","summary":"In this thought-provoking episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis speaks with Melissa, widely known as The Modern Mortician , to explore the deep intersections between death care, nature connection, and community learning. Beginning with light-hearted bug encounters and moving into meaningful reflections, the conversation spans Melissa’s career journey from traditional funeral homes to her current role as a death doula and advocate for greener, more intentional end-of-life practices. Together they unpack topics including green burial, water cremation, the realities and myths around “eco” death products, and how environmental considerations influence our final choices. They also discuss the emotional and cultural importance of involving children in death rituals, parallels between small animal burials at Forest School and human funerals, and how openness, presence, and hands-on experience can change our relationship with loss. With a mix of practical insight, personal stories, and gentle humour, this episode invites listeners to rethink death as a natural, participatory part of life. 🌲 Chapter Timings: 00:00 – Clay hairpieces, bug encounters, and the day’s woodland context 02:01 – Introducing Melissa: The Modern Mortician’s work and journey into death care 06:37 – Animal burials at Forest School and what really happens underground 09:19 – Green burial processes and Melissa’s personal story of exhuming her cat 12:24 – How grief and burial choices can shift over time 20:07 – Balancing professional knowledge with honouring people’s choices 24:14 – Water cremation explained: process, benefits, and environmental impact 26:39 – Why conservation burial tops the list for eco-friendly end-of-life care 31:18 – Myths, marketing, and the truth about “eco” burial products 37:24…","meta_description":"In this thought-provoking episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis speaks with Melissa, widely known as The Modern Mortician , to explore the deep inte…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3823,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-forest-school-podcast-1141815/episodes/ep-224-green-burials-and-forest-school-farewells-w-the-modern-mortician/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-forest-school-podcast-1141815/ep-224-green-burials-and-forest-school-farewells-w-the-modern-mortician.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}