Some people are most themselves outside. On a trail, at the water's edge, in a garden, watching the sky change. If the person you're honoring was one of them, a nature-inspired quote in their funeral program can say something that a biography can't — it can capture how they felt about the world.
This list gathers 20 quotes from poets, naturalists, and writers who understood that feeling. All are in the public domain or unattributed. Use whichever one sounds most like something they would have said, or kept on a wall, or sent to someone they loved.
On forests and wilderness
- “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” — John Muir
- “The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.” — John Muir
- “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” — Henry David Thoreau
- “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life.” — Henry David Thoreau
- “The groves were God’s first temples.” — William Cullen Bryant
On mountains
- “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” — John Muir
- “Keep close to nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.” — John Muir
- “Great things are done when men and mountains meet.” — William Blake
- “Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters.” — John Lubbock
On the ocean and water
- “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” — Jacques Cousteau
- “The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach — waiting for a gift from the sea.” — Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- “Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll.” — Lord Byron
- “We are as much water as we are land.” — Henry David Thoreau
On the sky, sun, and seasons
- “The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “The poetry of the earth is never dead.” — John Keats
On nature and peace
- “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” — Albert Einstein
- “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Lao Tzu
- “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” — John Muir
- “In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.” — John Muir
How to add a quote to your funeral program
All templates at Noted & Charmed are edited in Canva — free, browser-based, no software needed. Adding or swapping a quote takes about two minutes:
- Open your template link in Canva and click on any existing text box, or add a new one via the Text panel in the sidebar.
- Paste your chosen quote and adjust the font. Serif fonts like Playfair Display or Cormorant Garamond tend to suit memorial programs well — they feel considered without being heavy.
- If the quote sits over an image, reduce the image opacity (the checkerboard icon in the toolbar) to around 20–30% so the text stays readable.
- When you’re done, download as a PDF for printing, or MP4 if you’re sharing the digital version with family.
If you’re not sure where a quote fits in the layout, the interior spread usually has the most flexibility — it’s where most families place poems, quotes, or a short reflection.
Which template works best for an outdoor lover?
The design should feel like the person, not just generically natural. A few directions worth considering:
- Nature & Landscape — mountains, forests, open skies. Best for someone who hiked, camped, or just needed to be outside.
- Botanical & Floral — gardens, wildflowers, botanicals. Better for someone whose connection to nature was quieter — a gardener, a flower lover.
- Watercolor — soft, painterly, warm. Works well when the tone of the service is gentle and celebratory rather than formal.
Browse the full Funeral Program Templates collection if you want to see everything side by side.
Complete the Tribute
Watercolor Wilderness Suite
A coordinated set of editable Canva memorial templates inspired by the beauty of the natural world — funeral program, prayer cards, bookmarks, guest book, and thank you cards, all in one soft, watercolor design. Buy the funeral program and save 20% on matching stationery, applied automatically at checkout.
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