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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Wednesday, November 18th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Today we’ll do a final push removing invasive plants along the River Elf Trail in New Gloucester!
We’ve made impressive progress over the last few weeks removing mature invasive buckthorn, shrubby honeysuckle, and multiflora rose from the first 500 ft of the trail, but there’s one more stretch to do. We’ll continue cutting back these invasive plants and add to the brush piles in the field to burn this winter.
We’ll also extend the new split rail fence at the end of the parking lot to discourage people from walking through the field. We’ll install three more 8’ sections, which will require digging more post holes and setting them in place.
RRCT will bring shovels, post hole diggers, hand saws, loppers, a polesaw, a weedwhacker, and a chainsaw. Hanae has received permission from the landowner to treat the freshly cut stumps with herbicide. If you have a chainsaw and PPE, please bring them. Wear 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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Wednesday, November 25th - No Trail Crew. RRCT is off for Thanksgiving
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Wednesday, December 2nd, 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.
Wednesday, November 18th, 9:00 am to 11:00 am - Today we’ll do a final push removing invasive plants along the River Elf Trail in New Gloucester!
We’ve made impressive progress over the last few weeks removing mature invasive buckthorn, shrubby honeysuckle, and multiflora rose from the first 500 ft of the trail, but there’s one more stretch to do. We’ll continue cutting back these invasive plants and add to the brush piles in the field to burn this winter.
We’ll also extend the new split rail fence at the end of the parking lot to discourage people from walking through the field. We’ll install three more 8’ sections, which will require digging more post holes and setting them in place.
RRCT will bring shovels, post hole diggers, hand saws, loppers, a polesaw, a weedwhacker, and a chainsaw. Hanae has received permission from the landowner to treat the freshly cut stumps with herbicide. If you have a chainsaw and PPE, please bring them. Wear 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.
********************************
Wednesday, November 25th - No Trail Crew. RRCT is off for Thanksgiving
********************************
Wednesday, December 2nd, 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