Upcoming Events

Join Royal River Conservation Trust as we celebrate the official opening of our new River Elf Trail on Saturday, August 23^rd at 10 am! The rain date is Sunday, August 24th at 10 am.

In June 2024, RRCT and Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) partnered with Elizabeth & John Randall to protect their 150-acre Willow Farm on Cobbs Bridge Road in New Gloucester with a conservation easement. This easement ensures that the farm will remain in agricultural use while also providing for the development of a public trail to the Royal River.

Over the past several months RRCT’s volunteer Trail Crew has dedicated substantial time and effort creating the beautiful 2-mile River Elf Trail winding through mature forests to a scenic stretch along the banks of the Royal River before looping back to the trailhead and parking area.  The name River Elf was chosen for this magical property in honor of the ‘river elves' of Wabanaki lore – infamous tricksters that like to cause mischief upon unsuspecting people.

As with all our projects, this trail was made possible through the dedicated efforts of numerous volunteers and the generous donors who helped fund this conservation project.  

The ceremony will begin at 10 am with remarks from the landowner and RRCT, followed by an official ribbon cutting to mark the trail’s opening. Afterward, guests are invited to join a guided 2-mile hike along the new trail, where we’ll explore its woodlands, wildlife, and beautiful views of the Royal River. Visitors should expect a moderate hike over uneven and sometimes steep terrain. Dogs are welcome but due to sensitive habitat and active farmland areas, they must be kept on leash at all times.

Parking: There is a small 4-car parking lot at 400 Cobbs Bridge Rd, New Gloucester. Once full, park on the road shoulder of Cobbs Bridge Rd, on the same side of the road as the parking lot.

This event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and neighbors as we enjoy this wonderful place together!  

Registration is requested so we can plan accordingly!

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Location: Skyline Farm, North Yarmouth

Curriculum: Join us in the expansive fields of this beautiful preserve that is home to milkweed and other native wildflowers that will be in full bloom at summer’s end.

Naturalist: Karen Bruder Howe

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.

Save the date for Royal River Conservation Trust's Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 16th!

The event will be held at Cunningham Farm in New Gloucester from 6 to 8 pm.

Winners of our Celebrate the Royal Photo Contest will be announced at the meeting.

Registration coming soon!

September 24, 2025 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Location: Watson Woods, Cumberland

Curriculum: Explore the nascent trail system at CCLT's newest property!

Naturalist: Karen Herold

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.

Friday, October 17th, 2:00-5:00 pm

Save the date 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.

Registration will open in September 2025.

2026 is the year of our 14th Annual Pisgah Hill Full Moon Trek! Join us at the summit from 4 pm to 7 pm on Sunday, February 1st for brief remarks at sunset (5:09 p.m.) followed by a spectacular 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 only takes a half hour to hike 0.6 miles from the trailhead to the summit and campfire. We’ll build a warm fire and provide s’mores at the summit. We’ll light the way up and back with lanterns but it will largely be dark, especially during your descent. The entire loop trail (return trip) is 1.2 miles.

Registration and more details to come!

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