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Protecting the Royal River for current and future generations
Protecting the Royal River for current and future generations
who we are
Royal River Conservation Trust (RRCT) is a Southern Maine land trust focused on conserving land across the communities of the watershed.
Founded in 1988, the Trust protects and stewards land through acquisition, conservation easements and other legal agreements, and collaboration with a wide range of conservation partners. RRCT's work is made possible almost exclusively by charitable gifts.
Learn moreMAKE A GIFTMake a gift
Make a gift to protect our watershed
Your gift to Royal River Conservation Trust protects and stewards fields, forests, farmland, wetlands, and trails throughout the Royal River watershed.
Learn moreEXPLORE
Explore our watershed
All Royal River Conservation Trust preserves possess their own unique characteristics and are open to the public free of charge year-round.
Learn moreVOLUNTEER
Volunteer to protect our watershed
Volunteers established Royal River Conservation Trust in 1988 and continue to be vital to our operations. We are always looking for talented people to help advance our mission.
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Photo Credit Kristel Hayes
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
Volunteers established RRCT in 1988 and continue to be vital to its operations. From trail stewards and committee members, to special event supporters and Board Directors, the Trust welcomes community involvement and wants to hear from you.
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Upcoming Events
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Friday, October 17th, 2:00-5:00 pm
Join us for our third annual free 'Round the Marsh hike at Thayer Brook Preserve in Gray. The 3.4-mile guided trek will be led by Trail Steward and long-serving volunteer Steve McPike. whose thorough knowledge of the preserve and the entire Libby Hill Forest trail network will add significant depth and texture to the hike. Plan for a three-hour visit to one of Cumberland County's most remote and intriguing places. We'll meet at the trailhead parking lot at 92 Ramsdell Road in Gray, ME. Registration will be capped to 20 participants.
Established in 2022, the 147-acre Thayer Brook Preserve is a component of the 2,600-acre Libby Hill unfragmented habitat block – among the largest in Greater Portland – and is dominated by a large beaver marsh formed by more than six beaver dams which are home to enormous beaver lodges and large populations of birds. Beyond the marsh, most of the preserve’s acreage is dominated by glacial erratics left behind as the region’s glacial ice receded more than 10,000 years ago. The challenging rocky terrain is one reason the preserve has seen relatively little farming and no residential development over recent centuries.
October 22, 2025 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Location: Knight’s Pond Preserve, Cumberland. Meet at the parking lot at 477 Greely Road Extension, Cumberland Center, ME.
Curriculum: The magical world of fungi!
Naturalists: Karen Massey & Beth Sturtevant
These Get Out! Nature Walks are volunteer-led regular trips with trained master naturalists. Join us for a well-planned, no-cost, guided adventure. Monthly on the fourth Wednesday; always free; rain, snow, or shine. Jointly offered by both RRCT and the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust, the walks take place at preserves in the towns of Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, Pownal, New Gloucester, and Durham. Our curriculum is targeted at adults and engaged youth. Because the purpose is nature observation, we ask that dogs do not join us. Email CCLT with any questions.
*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at RRCT events may be photographed or filmed and your attendance indicates consent to have any images or footage featuring you at the event to be used for RRCT-related materials and outreach. Should images or footage appear in marketing materials that you don’t wish to be featured in, you must notify RRCT at Info@RRCT.org and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Location: Elmwood Trails. Meet at the trailhead parking lot on Elmwood Road (GPS Address: 819 Elmwood Rd, Pownal, ME)
Curriculum: Winter adaptations
Naturalist: Karen Massey
These Get Out! Nature Walks are volunteer-led regular trips with trained master naturalists. Join us for a well-planned, no-cost, guided adventure. Monthly on the fourth Wednesday; always free; rain, snow, or shine. Jointly offered by both RRCT and the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust, the walks take place at preserves in the towns of Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, Pownal, New Gloucester, and Durham. Our curriculum is targeted at adults and engaged youth. Because the purpose is nature observation, we ask that dogs do not join us. Email CCLT with any questions.
*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at RRCT events may be photographed or filmed and your attendance indicates consent to have any images or footage featuring you at the event to be used for RRCT-related materials and outreach. Should images or footage appear in marketing materials that you don’t wish to be featured in, you must notify RRCT at Info@RRCT.org and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.