John Christian Phifer is the Executive Director and creative force behind Larkspur Conservation, where he led the creation of Tennessee’s first conservation burial ground—a protected nature preserve that honors life, land, and loss. A licensed funeral director and embalmer, certified end-of-life doula, funeral celebrant, and home funeral guide, he brings over 26 years of experience in end-of-life care to this work.

He earned a degree in mortuary science from John A. Gupton College in Nashville and has served in both rural funeral homes and large metropolitan cemeteries. He deepened his calling through training with Final Passages and the Conscious Dying Institute, grounding his practice in reverence, ritual, and ecological responsibility.

In 2012, he boarded a cross-country train to speak with Americans about death, burial, and what matters most in the end. Those conversations shaped his enduring commitment to creating mindful, inclusive, and environmentally conscious alternatives to conventional funeral practices. His life and work are featured in the PBS documentary Bury Me at Taylor Hollow, now streaming nationwide.

Today, John Christian continues to demystify death and restore its connection to the natural world—bridging environmental advocacy and end-of-life care to empower families and transform our collective relationship with the earth.