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The Modern Mortician & Kermit the Dog Media Page

Podcasts

2024 June 'Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula,' with Traci Arieli

In this episode Traci discusses the evolving landscape of the funeral industry with Melissa Meadow, known as the Modern Mortician. Together, they explore the concept of green funerals and how they can provide a more sustainable and ethical approach to honoring our loved ones. Melissa shares her journey into the death care industry, the challenges she faced, and her passion for transparency and education in funeral practices.

Key takeaways include understanding the various eco-friendly options available, such as Alkaline Hydrolysis and conservation burials, and the importance of making informed decisions in an industry that can often be profit-driven. This episode aims to destigmatize conversations around death and dying, providing valuable insights for both professionals and those new to the topic.

2023 March Talk of the Towns KMUN

Donna’s guest is Melissa Meadow, a licensed funeral director, who is pioneering the first not-for-profit funeral home and conservation burial park for people and pets in the Pacific Northwest through her 501-c3 organization, The End Foundation …website TheEnd.green. Melissa is based in Long Beach, Washington where she currently offers green cremations for pets among other services. Melissa been an eco death educator for 6 years online as The Modern Mortician, and chose the PNW for this endeavor because of the connection to nature, the community, and the opportunity to provide something amazing in an geographical area which needs options … and that can inspire others across the world as it grows.

2023 January The Death Pawsitive Podcast - Ending on a High Note

Our first episode of The Death Pawsitive Podcast features Dr. Jenn Roedig a veterinarian, pet aging and end-of-life coach, and pet loss bereavement specialist who’s passionate about supporting and guiding people through aging and end-of-life with their pets. She graduated from the Western University of Health Sciences in 2016.

Pet aging and the end of life can feel scary, uncertain, overwhelming, lonely, and downright hard. Jenn never wants anyone to feel like they have to go through this alone which is why she started Sage Paws, to give those who are struggling with an aging pet a safe, compassionate, and empathetic space to openly express fears, desires, goals, and concerns as well as ask questions without fear of being judged.

Her hope in working together is that you feel empowered and at peace with your decision because there is no greater honor or privilege than to get to walk side by side with you every step of the way.

2023 January The Death Pawsitive Podcast- Water Cremation for Pets

This week on the Death Pawsitive Podcast we talk to Brian Kondrath from Paws And Claws Aquamation, a full-service pet mortuary. Paws and Claws uses aquamation which is also known as alkaline hydrolysis. It is the same process that occurs as part of nature's progress when a pet is laid to rest in soil. They use a combination of water flow, temperature, and alkalinity to accelerate nature's process.
Aquamation is the most environmentally friendly method of cremation offered. It presents several environmental advantages over old-fashioned burial or flame cremation services. Overall, the end-to-end process uses 85% less energy than traditional flame cremation.

2022 December The Mortuary Show Podcast

The Modern Mortician’s journey from embalmer to the proprietor of the 1st ever not for profit funeral home & Conservation Burial Park. Melissa talks about “The End”, her therapy pup named Kermit, & water cremation prices. Check out our specialty shirt for Melissa’s nonprofit! 100% of the proceeds go to support The End Foundation. Mourning Eggs Shirt ----- Want more of the Mortuary Show? Follow our social medias: Instagram TikTok Facebook ----- Show Notes: (07:52) – Grave digging done by the family. (13:13) – Preparing unembalmed bodies. (19:05) – Growing “mourning eggs”. (30:03) – Taking dogs on removals.

2022 Nov Ramble by the River Podcast: Life of a Mortician

This is the death episode. Its a pleasant romp through the grave yard as we discuss everything about the death industry with a local pro. We talk death, dying, the funeral industry, decomposition, ghosts, weird stuff that happens at funeral homes, blood clots, predatory business practices, and the existence of heaven and hell, and so much more.

FEATURED GUEST Melissa Meadow (mortician and funeral director)

Melissa Meadow is a local mortician and funeral director. She came to the PNW from Texas to shake up the funeral industry and she is already making waves. In this episode she will talk about her professional history, her personal philosophies and she might even announce plans for a brand new facility that will be something that most people have never seen before. You don't want to miss it.

2022 Oct Body to Burial Podcast: The Water Cremation

This week we welcome Melissa Meadow, a licensed funeral director with a mission to be transparent, honest, and an open minded guide to those who are seeking a meaningful end of life exit. Melissa has an intimate knowledge of all eco friendly disposition methods and will walk us through the process of water cremation, aka alkaline hydrolysis."

2022 Sept Death & Grief; The Dark Side of Death Care, Mental Health and Finding Your Way in the Industry w The Grave Woman

One of my favorite people in death care is Melissa also known as @The Modern Mortician . Melissa is a licensed funeral director, educator, dog Mommy to her grief therapy dog Kermit and advocate for eco-friendly burial and disposition methods. In this installment of The Death and Grief Talk Podcast, Melissa and I speak candidly about the dark side of working in death care, mental health, finding and creating space in death care and the newest installment of her brand The Knotty Coffin.

2022 March Freedom Junkie Radio: Natural, ethical, beautiful, unembalmed, green burial

Have you thought about the way you'd like to be buried or cremated? Betsy's mother-in-law's body was bathed, wrapped in a cloth and placed in the ground with flowers in what's referred to as a natural burial. It was beautiful, simple, ethical and affordable. Melissa helped her family every step of the way.

Betsy interviews Melissa, better known as the Modern Mortician about "green" or "natural" burials. Most people have no idea that embalming is entirely unnecessary, expensive, invasive and environmentally unconscious. Melissa gives her candid opinions about the profit-driven death industry and how to bypass it entirely. They discuss all the shades of green burial, cremation, water cremation, and human composting.

2021 Jun La Petite Mort "Returning to the Earth with The Modern Mortician"

This week we're going green with our deathly questions with Melissa, the Modern Mortician! A green burial advocate, mortician and funeral director with the cutest grief therapy dog ever - Kermit -, Melissa gives us a peek into her experience in death care and teaches us SO much about green burial options out of Washington, USA! Curious about how remains can be composted? Or what the hell a mushroom shroud is? Well grab a snack/your favourite drink and come learn with us!

2020 Feb Undertaking: The Podcast The Greening of Funeral Service

Melissa, AKA the Modern Mortician, specializes in green funeral service. She joins the show to discuss ways funeral directors can help families reduce their carbon footprint of their death rituals.

2019 The Ashley Rothstein Podcast: "The Modern Mortician on all things Death"

Death is one of these taboo things – we don’t really want to think about it or hear about it, but then we’re like wait…I want to hear, or I want to see. We pull away from it and are drawn to it simultaneously.
Death and curiosity go together, at least for me. I find myself existential often, thinking about how life is finite and how it will end for all of us. Death is the great equalizer, as I always say. Not one of us gets out of this life alive. So, who better than a mortician, a person around dead bodies 24/7, to speak to about death?

So many things from this conversation blew my mind - from water cremation vs. fire cremation and how water cremation is 90% better in regards to energy efficiency compared to fire cremation (fascinating), how you can be turned into soil after you die (so interesting), how getting turned into a tree may not be the best option, and how donating your body to science is not all it’s cracked up to be if you don’t do proper research.

2018 May WBUR Endless Thread- In Memorium: Gravestones and Green Burials

While Ben and Amory were at SXSW in Austin back in March of '18, they got a tip from a Redditor to explore something called Eloise Woods, which is a natural burial park. Amory met up with that Redditor, Melissa, aka u/TheModernMortician, and her dog, Kermit, who is the first certified therapy dog in funeral care in all of Texas.

2019 May Changing Perspectives: Progressive Funeral Care

In this episode, Jenni and Josh speak with Melissa, The Modern Mortician, about progressive changes within the death and funeral care industry. Alternatives to embalming and cremation, such as green burials and aquamation, are explored in detail with an emphasis on potential impacts on a family's grieving process. Tools to assist families to engage in discussions around their wishes for after death care are shared. Kermit the Dog, the first certified therapy dog in funeral care in the state of Texas is also highlighted and featured.

2017 Oct Iconosass by MK Lords

The Modern Mortician, talks to me about death and the death industry. She is a funeral services director based in Austin, TX and is a leader in the death positive movement which seeks to open up the discussion about death and dying. Melissa is joined by Kermit, her sidekick who helps people through the grieving process.

2018 Aug End of Life University: Modern Funeral & Burial Trends

Guest is a "modern mortician" in Austin TX who is helping to transform the funeral industry in many ways. She will share how she serves families by guiding them in choosing more environmentally friendly burial options and helping them arrange home funerals for their loved ones, including pets.

2018 Nov Death and All Her Friends: 1,000 Ways to Dispose of Your Body

Liz & Sarah chat with The Modern Mortician, Melissa. From embalming to aquamation, Death's besties (and their new pal) discuss 1000 ways to dispose of your body when you die. New Paragraph

2019 Sep W Files: The Mushroom Burial Shroud

W Files podcast interviews The Modern Mortician about her experience with the creator of the mushroom shroud, the University of Texas researcher, and the truth behind the lies about the Mushroom Burial Suit's legitimacy.

2019 Apr Primitive: "The Modern Mortician" on all things death

Death and curiosity go together, at least for me. I find myself existential often, thinking about how life is finite and how it will end for all of us. Death is the great equalizer, as I always say. Not one of us gets out of this life alive. So, who better than a mortician, a person around dead bodies 24/7, to speak to about death?

Melissa told a story about her picking up the body of a woman who was her age (who had died suddenly of a stroke) and how that sent her into the most vicious panic attack she has ever had.

I learned, through chatting with her this entire episode, how important it is to talk about our plan for our bodies after death BEFORE we actually die, or are even near death. We have to talk about this stuff. It makes so many things easier for so many people in the process, especially for our loved ones. And kids. Melissa does a lot of talks at schools and said that kids are surprisingly very open to talk about this stuff because they haven’t been indoctrinated or conditioned (depends on kid, sure) yet. They’re quite curious and open-minded, so it’s so crucial that we feed them good, useful information about death and not fearful information. Kids usually just pick up their parents thoughts or fears around death if it’s never talked about.

This woman has an insane amount of passion around death education and she has an impressive laundry list of accomplishments – appearing on other podcasts, in the newspaper, other articles, working on a few documentaries, and as of late, she has been writing her first book that should be published soon. She has a huge following on social media, where she frequently posts real-life photos of the process (with family permission of course) on her Instagram stories. You can tell she really loves what she does and it just radiates from her. I had a lot of fun talking to her.

So, tap into that morbid curiosity (we all have it!), buckle up, and tune in.

2017 June Shades of Green KOOP

To be buried in an environmentally friendly manner is becoming more accessible throughout the country. It is actually an old practice that is being modernized. You can lower your carbon footprint even after you pass on from this our earth. We will be discussing what a green burial means, the role of funeral directors in green burial, how you can find out where to be buried ‘green’ and the resulting environmental benefits. Our guest were:

Ann Hoffner is an environmental journalist and author, and among other things an avid world sailor. She has published many articles in environmental and sailing magazines and publications. Follow Ann at greenburialnaturally.org as a platform for the cemetery guide and Facebook to share news and information about green burial.

Melissa, better known as the ‘Modern Mortician” is undertaking Natural Burial funeral care for People and Pets in Austin, and the Central Texas area. She is a first generation Funeral Director/Embalmer, residing in Austin. She prefers to be called a Mortician, as it encompasses both titles. Her entry into funeral service began at 17 years old. She is licensed and serves on several boards related to the funeral industry. She was featured in the November 2015 issue of Texas Director Magazine in an article written by Alice Adams. Follow Melissa on Facebook and Instagram, or her website themodernmortician.com.

Ellen Macdonald is the owner and Queen of the ‘Eloise Woods Community Burial Park” located in Cedar Creek, Texas. She says “If you see a woman pushing a wheelbarrow mulching trails or digging holes in the mornings at Eloise Woods that would be Ellen.” Before taking over the burial park, she earned a PhD in Neuroscience at UC San Diego, but got tired of chopping off rat’s heads. When she is not mulching trails or digging graves, Ellen also delivers groceries for Meals on Wheels home bound clients, volunteers at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, and traps feral cats for the Austin Humane Society.

Video

2024 June "Inside the Funeral Industry: The Modern Mortician's Perspective" Comforting Closure

Is the funeral industry predatory? What are the ethics of the funeral industry? These are some of the pressing questions we address in our latest episode of "Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula." I had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Meadow, better known as the Modern Mortician, who shared her unique insights into the funeral industry, its practices, and the growing movement toward green funerals.

Funeral Industry Practices

The complexities and costs of traditional funeral practices can be overwhelming for grieving families. Melissa Meadow, a licensed funeral director and green burial advocate, brings much-needed clarity to these issues. She discusses the industry's profit-driven practices and emphasizes the importance of transparency and sustainability in funeral services.

The Predatory Nature of the Funeral Industry

Is the funeral industry predatory? Melissa’s experiences suggest that, in many cases, it can be. She recounts instances where funeral homes pressure families into purchasing expensive caskets by implying non-existent cultural norms. These tactics exploit grieving individuals during one of the most challenging times of their lives. For example, some funeral homes might use high-pressure sales techniques to convince families that a costly casket is necessary to honor their loved ones properly.

The Ethics of the Funeral Industry

What are the ethics of the funeral industry? Melissa highlights several unethical practices she has witnessed, such as using recycled cardboard boxes for cremations instead of proper cremation containers. These practices not only disrespect the deceased but also deceive the families who trust funeral homes to handle their loved ones with dignity. Melissa stresses the need for greater transparency and honesty in funeral services to ensure families can make informed decisions.

Embracing Green Funerals: A Path Forward

Despite these challenges, there is hope. Melissa advocates for green funerals as a more ethical and sustainable option. Green burials use biodegradable materials and avoid harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, which can damage the environment. By choosing green funerals, families can honor their loved ones in a way that aligns with their values and promotes ecological conservation.

Key takeaways from our conversation include:

The importance of being informed and asking the right questions when planning a funeral.
Understanding that families have the right to choose eco-friendly options.
Recognizing the need for greater transparency and ethical standards within the

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2023 March "I'm Going to Soil Myself" Show LIVE S1E1: The $#!% Show

Three rogue, licensed morticians dig up dirt on their personal experiences working in the funeral industry - with a play on words for those who love the idea of being composted, these tough conversations cover the stuff that makes us want to SOIL ourselves. Like, Comment, and Share to support us in educating on the death care dirt, all while doing what we do every day, try to take over the underworld.

2022 Nov Disposition Discussion- Home Funerals and Burials

Kari the Mortician and Melissa, the Modern Mortician, discuss home burials and funerals. Would this be a disposition choice you would choose for yourself?

2022 Oct Disposition Discussion- Composting part 2

Kari Northey, a funeral director and embalmer (mortician) and Melissa , the Modern Mortician, discuss Composting and where the newer disposition method is at.

2022 September Death & Grief Podcast: The Dark Side of Death Care, Mental Health, and Finding Your Way in the Industry

2022 Aug SpiritVessel Professionals in DeathCare

In this interview we speak with Melissa Meadow, also known as, The Modern Mortician, who is a licensed funeral director, and advocate for eco-friendly forms of disposition.

2022 Feb The Modern Mortician meets The Glam Reaper

There is so much controversy over the options that are available for the end of life processes due to differences in legislation, corporate greed and inaccurate information being put out there to people. Yes, there are a variety of end-of-life options that people can choose from, but ultimately it all comes down to what choice you and the family make when planning for the final event.

Our interview with Melissa, known in the funeral industry as the Modern Mortician, is very informative because as an expert herself, she gives an overview of what the future holds for the industry. Melissa offers a new perspective on the technology that can save our planet from destruction - using green practices such as natural burials or cremation instead of conventional burial methods.

2020 June Kari the Mortician: The Disposition Discussion- Water Cremation

Kari, a funeral director and embalmer (mortician) and Melissa, the Modern Mortician, discuss Water Cremation.

What is available in our areas? What is this disposition method which has been around for a while but still not legal in every state?

2020 May Kari the Mortician: Disposition Discussion- The Mushroom Suit

Kari the Mortician, a funeral director and embalmer, discusses another disposition option with The Modern Mortician, Melissa.

What are mushroom suits that keep appearing in news stories? Are they available for consumers in every area to purchase for use and do they work?

2020 Apr Kari the Mortician: Disposition Discussion- Burial Pods

What are the burial pods that keep surfacing on social media and in the news? Are they available for consumers in every area to purchase for use?

2019 October Decibel from PBS Austin

Taking a more eco-friendly approach to things is becoming more and more common, as folks look for ways to live a greener life. But what about your afterlife? We spoke to The Modern Mortician Melissa about alternative funeral arrangements, greener cremation services, and why we should break the taboo around talking about death.

2019 Sep W Files Podcast: The Mushroom Burial Shroud

2019 May Stella Marie Interview

Austin's "Modern Mortician," got her start in death care at 17 after working at a funeral home for a summer. She works to educate people on their rights in death, offer guidance and provides eco-friendly alternatives to traditional funeral practices such as greener flame cremation, natural burials, and aquamation.

2019 March A Green Undertaking with Kari the Mortician Part 1 and Part 2

The Modern Mortician, Little Miss Funeral Director and Kari discuss green burial options and many questions that surround them.

Part 1

Part 2

2018 Dec Little Miss Funeral: Dogs in Funeral Service

LITTLE MISS FUNERAL + THE MODERN MORTICIAN | Dogs In Funeral Service

2018 March TalkDeath: Conversations with The Modern Mortician

Melissa (The Modern Mortician) answers the question from @Heywolfpack on Instagram: "With so many autopsies being performed, what is your protocol to have a green burial when at least some type of embalming must be done?"

2018 March TalkDeath: No Green Burial Options?

Melissa (The Modern Mortician) answers the question from Tricia Fife on Facebook: "if no green burial options are available where I live, what are the most cost effective, and environmentally friendly options available?"

2018 March TalkDeath: LGBTQA Why You Need to Start Funeral Planning

Melissa (The Modern Mortician) answers the question from Brittany Spiers on Facebook: "I have natural burial written in my death plan (pre-plan), but need to be able to point my family in the right direction, what can I do?" Learn why everyone, especially people in the LGBTQ community, should pre-plan!