Fund a Butterfly Bench at Rollins Park in Memory of Natalie

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

A fundraising campaign has been launched to purchase a bench to be installed at the Pollinator Waystation at Rollins Park in Concord, NH. The bench is intended to honor the memory of Natalie Duncan. Her family has shared this message:

We’re inviting friends, family, and community members to help fund a handcrafted butterfly bench at the Rollins Park Monarch Waystation. This vibrant pollinator garden and Adopt-a-Spot has been a meaningful place for us since we began volunteering in 2022. Filled with native plants, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, song birds, and frogs, the Monarch Waystation pollinator garden now holds even deeper significance as we honor our daughter Natalie, who passed away in August 2024. In her parting words, she wrote: “…just imagine I’m a bird or a butterfly – a pollinator of some sort – who gets to fly by your sides always…” Her life and love serve as a motivation for us on a daily basis.

With support and inspiration from our friend and South End neighbor Maureen Quinn and Concord’s Parks & Recreation Department, we’re commissioning a handcrafted Monarch butterfly bench from North Carolina’s Cricket Forge, which is known for its durable, artistic pieces. The bench will honor Natalie, who spent many childhood days in Rollins Park, and provide a place of rest and reflection for all who visit.

To amplify the impact, family members are generously offering a 2 to 1 match for every donation. We appreciate every gift, but most of all, we hope you’ll visit the Waystation and enjoy its beauty, whether or not you're able to donate.

Created in 2021, the Rollins Park Monarch Waystation was made possible by NH Fish & Game, the City of Concord, Abbot-Downing Elementary School, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Laurel Horne and Andy Duncan