"A former Nelson midwife who could not bear to see placentas thrown out is the inspiration for a new dedicated placenta planting ground to be established in Nelson at the Centre of New Zealand.
Lyndell Rowan, who died unexpectedly two years ago, aged 41, was passionate about the birth process and could not bring herself throw away a placenta.
Her husband Boaz Gabay said that during her 13-year career, she took many placentas home to bury, with her clients' permission.
"She always had a lot of respect for the birthing process, and she'd say that the placenta was the most complex life support system ever invented," Mr Gabay said.
"It was part of a woman's body that created life, and she didn't think it was right to just chuck them out."
Mr Gabay said his wife buried some of the placentas in a vegetable garden and others went into a forest.
"A couple of times when I opened the freezer looking for something to cook, I pulled out a placenta."
Midwife Suzi Hume said a group of midwives wanted to come up with a memorial for Ms Rowan, who she described as a "beautiful, giving woman who people adored having as a midwife".
Ms Hume said the NZ College of Midwives' Nelson-Marlborough chairperson Andrea Vincent had been instrumental in setting up the placenta burial garden, working with iwi and the Nelson City Council to establish it.
Ms Vincent said Ms Rowan's campaign to not throw away placentas was similar to the Maori custom of burying the placenta in a place of significance to their ancestors, as this reinforced the relationship between the newborn child and the land of their birth."
