Trail Crew
Trail Crew meets every Wednesday from 9 am to 11 am, except during bad weather and around holidays. Details on upcoming Trail Crew sessions will be posted here. Our work focuses on RRCT’s many public access properties, sometimes spending several weeks in a row at the same site. RRCT is also happy to help out at partner properties when Trail Crew is available.
There is a job for everyone, no matter your shape, skills, or strength. Join us the one week you have time or interest, or put Trail Crew on your calendar as your regular Wednesday morning ritual. It's a great way to experience a new preserve, get to know someone new, and learn new trail work techniques. Trail Crew tackles a variety of trail projects including clearing trail corridors, invasive plant removal, route finding and trail alignment, trail marking, constructing bog bridging and bridges, and improving signage. RRCT brings specific tools that will be helpful. We encourage volunteers to bring personal tools as well. Hand saws, pole saws, and loppers are favorites. Crew members should bring a water bottle, and wear sturdy shoes, work gloves, and the right clothes for the day.
Trail Crew is led by RRCT's Stewardship Director Hanae Garrison. If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach me at (973) 255-7513 or Hanae@RRCT.org
There is a job for everyone, no matter your shape, skills, or strength. Join us the one week you have time or interest, or put Trail Crew on your calendar as your regular Wednesday morning ritual. It's a great way to experience a new preserve, get to know someone new, and learn new trail work techniques. Trail Crew tackles a variety of trail projects including clearing trail corridors, invasive plant removal, route finding and trail alignment, trail marking, constructing bog bridging and bridges, and improving signage. RRCT brings specific tools that will be helpful. We encourage volunteers to bring personal tools as well. Hand saws, pole saws, and loppers are favorites. Crew members should bring a water bottle, and wear sturdy shoes, work gloves, and the right clothes for the day.
Trail Crew is led by RRCT's Stewardship Director Hanae Garrison. If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach me at (973) 255-7513 or Hanae@RRCT.org
Upcoming Trail Crew Sessions:
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Wednesday, March 18th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Join us at the River Elf property in New Gloucester! RRCT has received a grant to remove patches of invasive Japanese knotweed along the banks of the Royal River within the conservation easement RRCT holds on Willow Farm (River Elf property).
The first step in this project is an initial knockdown of last year’s dead knotweed stems. The stems can be knocked down easily by pressing them down, but RRCT will bring some loppers and hand saws just in case. The next stage of the project will involve cutting and manually removing living stems in June 2026. In August and September 2026, Erik Lema from Basswood Environmental will apply herbicide treatment to the knotweed stems.
Erik Lema and several US Fish & Wildlife staff members will be joining us today. The knotweed target areas are in the floodplain areas on either side of the Royal River, closer to the railroad tracks. Be prepared to hike off trail on uneven and slippery or muddy terrain. Waterproof boots are recommended.
Parking: Meet at the River Elf Trail parking lot at 400 Cobbs Bridge Rd, New Gloucester. We will carpool or shuttle folks a small parking area down the road and enter the property from the railroad tracks (which are inactive).
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Wednesday, March 25th - No Trail Crew. Hanae will be attending a land trust stewardship gathering and workshop in Augusta.
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*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at Trail Crew 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, email Hanae@RRCT.org, and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.
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Wednesday, March 18th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Join us at the River Elf property in New Gloucester! RRCT has received a grant to remove patches of invasive Japanese knotweed along the banks of the Royal River within the conservation easement RRCT holds on Willow Farm (River Elf property).
The first step in this project is an initial knockdown of last year’s dead knotweed stems. The stems can be knocked down easily by pressing them down, but RRCT will bring some loppers and hand saws just in case. The next stage of the project will involve cutting and manually removing living stems in June 2026. In August and September 2026, Erik Lema from Basswood Environmental will apply herbicide treatment to the knotweed stems.
Erik Lema and several US Fish & Wildlife staff members will be joining us today. The knotweed target areas are in the floodplain areas on either side of the Royal River, closer to the railroad tracks. Be prepared to hike off trail on uneven and slippery or muddy terrain. Waterproof boots are recommended.
Parking: Meet at the River Elf Trail parking lot at 400 Cobbs Bridge Rd, New Gloucester. We will carpool or shuttle folks a small parking area down the road and enter the property from the railroad tracks (which are inactive).
****************************
Wednesday, March 25th - No Trail Crew. Hanae will be attending a land trust stewardship gathering and workshop in Augusta.
****************************
*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at Trail Crew 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, email Hanae@RRCT.org, and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.
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