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. There is no registration or prior experience needed, just show up! 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. There is no registration or prior experience needed, just show up! 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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Friday, October 30th, 9:00 am to ~10:00 am - We need a couple of volunteers to help install signage and medium kiosks at the Village Path in New Gloucester. The Village Path will be shown off to trick or treaters on Halloween, so we want the trail to be looking it's best! It shouldn't take too long to install the signage, so if there's interest, we can rake out the trail tread and continue cutting back invasive plants as well.
Meet at the back of the parking lot behind the church at 19 Gloucester Hill Road, close to the swings and playground. Please let Hanae know if you plan to help out, either in person, over text (973-255-7513), or email (hanae@rrct.org).
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Wednesday, November 4th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am – Today we will continue removing invasive plants and improving the River Elf Trail in New Gloucester!
We made impressive progress last week removing mature invasive buckthorn, shrubby honeysuckle, and multiflora rose from the first 500 ft of the trail, but there’s still plenty more to do. We’ll continue cutting back these invasive plants and create brush piles in the field to burn this winter.
RRCT will bring hand saws, loppers, a pole saw, a weedwhacker, andchainsaw. If you have a chainsaw and PPE, please bring them. It’s getting colder, so don’t forget to wear warm layers, work gloves, and bring water!
Parking: Meet at the trailhead parking lot at 400 Cobbs Bridge Rd, New Gloucester. Once the lot is full, park along the roadshoulder on the same side as the parking lot.
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Saturday, November 7th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Join us for a special weekend Trail Crew! We're teaming up with the North Yarmouth Parks Committee to brush back the South Brook Trail at Chandler Brook Preserve, where RRCT holds a conservation easement. Folks who normally can't attend regular Wednesday sessions are encouraged to join us!
Last November we helped reopen the South Brook Trail which was overgrown and crowded by invasive plants, including shrubby honeysuckle, multiflora rose and Japanese barberry. The trail has since grown in and can use some brushing back. We’ll trim overhanging branches and cut back encroaching vegetation so that the trail corridor is around 6’ wide x 8’ tall with a 24” wide trail tread.
RRCT will bring loppers, hand saws, a pole saw, and a chainsaw. Feel free to bring personal tools that may be helpful. Don't forget a water bottle, work gloves, and wear blaze orange (it’s hunting season).
Parking: We'll meet at the trailhead parking lot at 1409 North Road, North Yarmouth. When you see a blue "Chandler Brook Preserve" sign, take a right onto a gravel driveway. Stay left as the driveway forks. The parking lot is at the end of the driveway, just before a railroad crossing and kiosk.
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Wednesday, November 11th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Trail Crew will likely be canceled for Veteran's Day.
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Wednesday, November 18th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - TBD
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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.
Friday, October 30th, 9:00 am to ~10:00 am - We need a couple of volunteers to help install signage and medium kiosks at the Village Path in New Gloucester. The Village Path will be shown off to trick or treaters on Halloween, so we want the trail to be looking it's best! It shouldn't take too long to install the signage, so if there's interest, we can rake out the trail tread and continue cutting back invasive plants as well.
Meet at the back of the parking lot behind the church at 19 Gloucester Hill Road, close to the swings and playground. Please let Hanae know if you plan to help out, either in person, over text (973-255-7513), or email (hanae@rrct.org).
*********************************
Wednesday, November 4th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am – Today we will continue removing invasive plants and improving the River Elf Trail in New Gloucester!
We made impressive progress last week removing mature invasive buckthorn, shrubby honeysuckle, and multiflora rose from the first 500 ft of the trail, but there’s still plenty more to do. We’ll continue cutting back these invasive plants and create brush piles in the field to burn this winter.
RRCT will bring hand saws, loppers, a pole saw, a weedwhacker, andchainsaw. If you have a chainsaw and PPE, please bring them. It’s getting colder, so don’t forget to wear warm layers, work gloves, and bring water!
Parking: Meet at the trailhead parking lot at 400 Cobbs Bridge Rd, New Gloucester. Once the lot is full, park along the roadshoulder on the same side as the parking lot.
********************************
Saturday, November 7th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Join us for a special weekend Trail Crew! We're teaming up with the North Yarmouth Parks Committee to brush back the South Brook Trail at Chandler Brook Preserve, where RRCT holds a conservation easement. Folks who normally can't attend regular Wednesday sessions are encouraged to join us!
Last November we helped reopen the South Brook Trail which was overgrown and crowded by invasive plants, including shrubby honeysuckle, multiflora rose and Japanese barberry. The trail has since grown in and can use some brushing back. We’ll trim overhanging branches and cut back encroaching vegetation so that the trail corridor is around 6’ wide x 8’ tall with a 24” wide trail tread.
RRCT will bring loppers, hand saws, a pole saw, and a chainsaw. Feel free to bring personal tools that may be helpful. Don't forget a water bottle, work gloves, and wear blaze orange (it’s hunting season).
Parking: We'll meet at the trailhead parking lot at 1409 North Road, North Yarmouth. When you see a blue "Chandler Brook Preserve" sign, take a right onto a gravel driveway. Stay left as the driveway forks. The parking lot is at the end of the driveway, just before a railroad crossing and kiosk.
*********************************
Wednesday, November 11th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Trail Crew will likely be canceled for Veteran's Day.
*********************************
Wednesday, November 18th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - TBD
**********************************
*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.
Trail Crew at Mèmak Preserve, April 2026