Long Island Naturalists Series #1

Sunday, June 28th 2026

12:00 pm

Third House, 1929 Montauk

Third House Nature Center is thrilled to announce the first presentation in the “Long

Island Naturalists” series. This program explores the beginnings of the American

naturalist movement in the early 1900s and highlights some of Long Island’s most

influential environmentalists and conservationists.

This Sunday, June 28th 2026, 12:00 pm at historic Third House, 1929 Montauk

Highway in Montauk join MaryLaura Lamont- naturalist, historian, retired National

Park Ranger, Hallock State Park Naturalist and Long Island Botanical Society

Educational Chairperson- for a presentation on two of Long Island’s premier naturalists,

John Nichols of Mastic and Paul Stoutenburgh of Cutchogue.

John Nichols was a naturalist and a longtime curator at the Museum of Natural History.

He wed Cornelia Dubois Floyd in 1910 at the Willian Floyd estate where they lived

during the warmer months. Nichols did much of his research at Mastic and banded

birds there. A little known side of Nichols was his beautiful poetry-all about waves,

wind, sailing ships, and the sea.

Paul Stoutenburgh was a local environmentalist who grew up and lived his entire life on

the North Fork of Long Island. His accomplishments were many in terms of protecting

North Fork lands that otherwise would have been developed into houses and businesses.

He was an avid naturalist and birder. Along with his wife, Barbara, he wrote the “Focus

on Nature” column published in the Riverhead News-Review — and later The Suffolk

Times — for 50 years. He dedicated much of his time to environmental causes,

becoming an environmentalist before the term was ever invented. Paul was a founding

member of the Long Island Botanical Society and one of the most reliable sources for

locations and records of eastern Long Island natural history.