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Pelham dedicates Bluebird Sanctuary at Celebration Park to Joyce and William McDevitt
Summary
Community volunteers, the Pelham Council on Aging and Pelham Pathways marked the dedication of a Bluebird Sanctuary at Celebration Park, with longtime volunteer Roger Montbleau and honoree Joyce McDevitt speaking and a commemorative nest box installed for the McDevitt family.
At a dedication ceremony at Celebration Park in Pelham, community members unveiled a new Bluebird Sanctuary honoring Joyce and the late William “Bill” McDevitt and installed a commemorative nesting box.
Roger Montbleau, introduced as “Mr. Bluebird,” led remarks describing the sanctuary’s mission and volunteers’ work to support bluebird nesting across town. “Bluebirds are more than beautiful visitors. They are symbols of hope, resilience, renewal, and joy,” Montbleau said, and noted the sanctuary currently hosts two nesting pairs and fledglings.
The event included a framed certificate read aloud by Chris dedicating the sanctuary “in honor of Joyce and William Bill McDevitt,” and short remarks from Joyce McDevitt, who thanked the community and family. Event organizers recounted Bill McDevitt’s decades of civic service, including 24 years on the Board of Selectmen and years of involvement with the Pelham Garden Club and local traditions.
Organizers thanked volunteers and local partners: the Celebration Park Committee, Pelham Pathways, and the Pelham Council on Aging, which will sponsor upcoming infrastructure work including expanded irrigation and newly seeded lawns this fall. The Pelham Forestry Committee and local Bluebird Society members were credited with identifying town parcels for additional nest boxes and helping maintain existing sites.
A specially crafted cedar nesting box with a copper roof, built by Jim Fisher, was installed on site and a dedication plaque was unveiled. Organizers led a short procession to the installation site and invited attendees to continue conversation and refreshments after the ceremony.
The gathering emphasized volunteer stewardship and family legacy rather than new town policy or formal government action. A participant offered a lighthearted motion to adjourn near the ceremony’s end; no formal vote or town action was recorded in the transcript.
The sanctuary will remain as a public recognition of the McDevitts’ community contributions and as part of ongoing efforts to create bluebird-friendly spaces across Pelham.
