Upcoming Events

Join us on Sunday, February 1st, 2026, from 4:00–7:00 pm as we gather at the summit of Pisgah Hill Preserve for RRCT's 14th annual Full Moon Trek. We’ll share brief remarks at sunset (5:09 p.m.), followed by a full moonrise over Bradbury Mountain.

The Pisgah Hill Preserve (South) trailhead is at 74 Dougherty Road in New Gloucester. (In Pownal, Dougherty Road is known as Chadsey Road.)  Parking for this event is on the road shoulders of Dougherty Road, one side of the road only.

It takes around half an hour to hike 0.6 miles from the trailhead to the summit and campfire. So show up anytime after 4:00 pm but before 7:00 pm.

Visitors should expect a moderate hike with some elevation gain to the 381-foot summit. The trail has been packed down, but snowshoes or ice grippers are recommended for extra traction on the snow. At the top, you’ll be welcomed by a warm campfire, great company, hot chocolate and s’mores to enjoy beneath the night sky. AllTrails Link.

What to bring: Warm boots, layers, snowshoes or ice grippers for traction, headlamps or flashlights, cell phones, water, snacks. We will place lanterns along the trail, but be prepared for darkness during your descent.

Dogs are welcome if leashed, with strict attention to pet waste removal.

Register HERE!

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, please notify RRCT at Info@RRCT.org and we will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.

Saturday, February 7th, 2026 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location: Thayer Brook Preserve, 92 Ramsdell Road in Gray

Guides: Margaret Reimann, Anne Payson, Steve McPike

Registration: Limited to 12 spots. Sign up here!

Curriculum: Have you ever wondered what life is like for beavers in Maine? Join us at Thayer Brook Preserve as we uncover the mysteries of this remarkable animal, its role in the ecosystem, the history of our relationship with beavers, and the ways they shape the landscape around us.

We’ll go on a guided walk over the frozen beaver marsh where, conditions permitting, we may get up close to a large beaver lodge and look for signs of wildlife activity along the way.

Please plan for a 2-hour hike over uneven and slippery terrain. Wear warm layers and micro spikes for traction. We’ll meet at the trailhead parking lot at 92 Ramsdell Road in Gray. Please register here.

Rain or Shine | No Cost Event

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 and some weekends; always free; rain, snow, or shine. Jointly offered by both Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust and Royal River Conservation Trust, the walks take place at preserves in the towns of Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, Gray, 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. 

*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.

Friday, February 13th, 2026 | 9:00 - 11:00 am

Location: Yarmouth History Center in the William D. Hamill Room, 118 East Elm Street, Yarmouth‍

Parking is available at the Yarmouth History Center and across the street at Royal River Park.

Join Royal River Conservation Trust and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) for a free, hands-on workshop on the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) - an invasive pest threatening Maine’s hemlock forests.

HWA is a tiny, aphid-like insect that feeds on sap from hemlock branches, killing them over time. The insects cover themselves in a white, waxy secretion that looks like little cotton balls on the underside of needles.

GMRI will introduce Project Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a community science initiative to monitor local forests. You’ll learn how to identify eastern hemlock trees, spot signs of HWA infestation, and report your findings. After an indoor introduction, we’ll head outside to Royal River Park to practice field identification and collect data together.

Register Here!

Wednesday, Februrary 25, 2026 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Location: Mèmak Preserve, 78 Lufkin Road, North Yarmouth

Curriculum:  We will observe different kinds of evergreen and deciduous trees and learn how to distinguish among trees in these categories.

Naturalists: Beth Sturtevant, Mary Brandes

Rain or Shine | No Cost Event

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 Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust and Royal River Conservation 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.

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Thursday, March 12th | 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Location: Merrill Memorial Library, Lewis Hall (3rd Floor) 215 Main Street, Yarmouth

Many of Maine's most valued lands are family-owned and deeply cherished. Planning for the long-term future of these beloved properties can be a challenge.

Join us to learn about ways to plan wisely for your family's current and future ownership - preserving your legacy, reducing taxes, and conserving treasured resources.

Our speaker, Jerry Bley of Creative Conservation, LLC, has worked for decades with Maine families as they navigate the complex decisions around what to do with lands owned within the family. Whether you are a child who has (or may) inherit land from a parent, or a landowner wanting to determine what will happen with your land when you are no longer around, this gathering is designed to help you navigate these important decisions.

This free event is offered in coordination with the Town of Yarmouth’s Climate Action Committee. Yarmouth residency is not required.

Registration is requested help us plan our evening and enable us to contact you with any updates.

Register here!

Wednesday, March 25, 2025 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Location: Watson Woods, Cumberland

Curriculum:  We will learn about the fascinating and mysterious world of moss and lichen. The area along Mill Brook will provide an ideal habitat for our explorations.

Naturalist: Karen Massey & Margaret Reimann

Rain or Shine | No Cost Event

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 Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust and Royal River Conservation 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.

Saturday, March 28th, 2026 | 6:30 - 8:30 pm

USM Hannaford Hall, Portland

RRCT is partnering with nine other Portland-area land trusts and trail organizations to host a screening of the World Trails Film Festival. This family-friendly film festival features 90 minutes of films that transport you around the world to meet trail builders, explore new trails, and see why trails matter.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and $5 for children under 12. We don't want cost to be a barrier to attendance, so there are also free community tickets available if you need them. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm, and the film will begin at 7:00 pm. Come early to talk to your local land trusts about their plans for enhancing local trail systems!

Our cohosts are: Portland Trails, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, Falmouth Land Trust, Freeport Conservation Trust, Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, Scarborough Land Trust, Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust, South Portland Land Trust, and the Maine Land Trust Network.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Location: Riverfront Woods Preserve, Yarmouth

Curriculum: When you notice the unmistakable chorus of spring peepers signaling that days and nights are finally warming, it’s a sign that vernal pools are coming alive. These temporary bodies of water are home to wood frogs, spotted salamanders, fairy shrimp, and other amphibians. We will get a close-up look at egg masses and other evidence of amphibians in three temporary and isolated wetlands. The walk will be about two miles over relatively flat terrain.

Naturalist: Beth Sturtevant & Karen Bruder Howe

Rain or Shine | No Cost Event

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 Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust and Royal River Conservation 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.