Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Steven and Martha Greenwald, David Daniel, Cornelia and Ralph Heins. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Honoree and Board Chair Katherine Leahy Birch and Marco Birch. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Robert Rubin, Chairman and Founder of the Bridge and Kathee Burke Gonzalez. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Karolina Lundahi and Beth Stern. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Roman and Dushy Roth. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Richard and Kelly Coles. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

AJ Davis, Larry Davis, Ella Dyett, Donna Emma, Michael Clinton, Tom DeVincentis. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Michael Wells and Wendy Pearson . Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Lisa DeLuca, Lilee Fell and Robert DeLuca (Pres. Group for the East End). Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Hasty Torres, Christina Sethi, Katherine Birch, Meredith Jenkins. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Eric Viner and Jordan Wise. Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

Group for the East End 'Saddle Up for Conservation Gala', The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

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Spark Hamptons
Group for the East End Hosts Saddle Up for Conservation Gala at The Bridge — Honors Katherine Leah Birch

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.The annual Bridgehampton benefit honored Katherine Leahy Birch and celebrated the nonprofit’s work protecting the East End.

Group for the East End welcomed conservation advocates, community leaders and supporters to The Bridge in Bridgehampton for its annual Saddle Up for Conservation gala, an evening celebrating the nonprofit’s mission to protect the East End’s land, water and wildlife.

Group for the East End ‘Saddle Up for Conservation Gala’, The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

The event honored board Chair Katherine Leahy Birch for her nearly two decades of leadership and dedication to the organization, which has been a driving force in East End conservation since 1972.

Honoree and Board Chair Katherine Leahy Birch and Marco Birch. Group for the East End ‘Saddle Up for Conservation Gala’, The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

Set against the picturesque backdrop of The Bridge, one of the Hamptons’ most exclusive private clubs, guests enjoyed cocktails, dinner, dancing and a live paddle raise benefiting the organization’s advocacy, education and stewardship programs.

50+ Years of East End Conservation Initiatives

For more than 50 years, Group for the East End has worked to preserve the region’s natural resources through conservation initiatives, environmental education and community advocacy. Its efforts have helped protect the unique landscapes and ecosystems that define eastern Long Island.

AJ Davis, Larry Davis, Ella Dyett, Donna Emma, Michael Clinton, Tom DeVincentis. Group for the East End ‘Saddle Up for Conservation Gala’, The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

Birch, who joined the board of directors in 2008 and became chair in 2015, was recognized for her leadership and commitment to the organization’s mission, helping guide the nonprofit through periods of growth and change while expanding its impact across the East End.

Robert Rubin, Chairman and Founder of the Bridge and Kathee Burke Gonzalez. Group for the East End ‘Saddle Up for Conservation Gala’, The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

The annual gala was hosted by Stéphane Samuel and Robert M. Rubin of The Bridge and featured a live paddle raise led by CK Swett, remarks from Wölffer Estate Vineyard winemaker Roman Roth, music by DJ Carlos Lama and casino games.

Roman and Dushy Roth. Group for the East End ‘Saddle Up for Conservation Gala’, The Bridge, Bridgehampton, June 6, 2026. Photo by Lisa Tamburini

Sponsors included Wölffer Estate Vineyard and LALO Tequila.

Since its founding, Group for the East End has worked to protect and restore eastern Long Island’s environment through conservation, advocacy and educational programs that inspire community engagement and action.

For more information about Group for the East End, visit thegroup.org.

  • Photos by Lisa Tamburini @hamptonsphotog
Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .

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