
Pioneers of change
Changing the funeral industry wouldn’t happen without dedicated people working behind the scenes. Here are the generous individuals and organisations behind Earth Funerals Project.

Leading the way
Kevin Hartley is the Founder, Project Director and acting CEO of Earth Funerals Project. He has more than 20 years of experience in the funeral and cemetery industries, giving him a broad and deep understanding of the sector.
Working with the late Hon. Dr Bob Such (Independent MP for Fisher) and a community group (Natural Earth Burial Society), he contributed to the lobby for legislative changes to establish natural burial grounds. Later, in 2016, he played an advisory role in establishing the first private natural burial ground at the Aldinga Arts-EcoVillage in South Australia.
Kevin has won awards for his innovative bio-coffin designs and is considered an authority on natural burials.
Board members

Dr Vanda Rounsefell
Adelaide
Vanda has a background in wholistic & environmental general medical practice. In 2000, she expanded her interest from restoring individual health to that of larger scales - housing, landscapes, cities and countries. This led to private involvement and research into ecovillages and sustainable living, sustainable death practices and to her leading the establishment at Aldinga Arts-EcoVillage of the first SA restoration burial ground under new SA legislation. She wrote a PhD entitled “From EgoCity to EcoCity : an ecological, complex systems approach to humans and their settlements”. She trained in and served on the Board of The Natural Step, a powerful sustainability model, and set up Ecoweb Human Ecology Services, an eco-counselling consultancy.

Joe Sehee
Melbourne
Joe founded the Green Burial Council in the USA - an independent nonprofit trust provider that set forth the world's first standards for eco-conscious deathcare. He was a pioneer of natural burial, developing the country’s first natural burial ground in a major metro area. Joe has been a consultant to several conservation organisations exploring natural burial. He was a former Commissioner for the City of Santa Fe’s Sustainability Commission, and is a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program.

Dr Gina Price
Perth
Gina was a founding partner of the Sociocracy Consulting Group, and is an expert facilitator of sociocratic governance. In other words, she solves problems by creating harmonious social environments. Her group has provided training for NGOs, eco-villages and businesses in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and Brazil. Previously, Gina worked as a polar scientist—over-wintering in Antarctica and conducting research in Alaska. Her disciplined scientific rigour, and deep respect for life itself, make her a valued member of the Earth Funerals Project' family.
Strategic Partners
Donors
The Madden Sainsbury Foundation – Sydney
The Earth Welfare Foundation – Sydney
The Pace Foundation – Sydney
Rose M Gilder – Victoria
Josette Wunder – Sydney
Garry White Foundation - VIC
Ross Knowles Foundation – Sydney
Greater Bank – Armidale, NSW
Judy De Jong – Armidale, NSW
Jeremy Smith – Armidale, NSW
Elizabeth Phelan – Sandringham, VIC