Royal River Conservation Trust

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Royal River Conservation Trust

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A community-based land trust conserving land and water in the Royal River watershed 🌿

The Royal River Conservation Trust is a community-based non-profit land trust that has conserved more than 5400 acres of land, farms, and trails in the Royal River watershed and Casco Bay. We primarily work in the towns of Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, New Gloucester, Pownal, Durham, Auburn, and Gray.

10/26/2026

Hunting season is underway! 🦌

As you head out to explore RRCT’s preserves this fall, please be mindful of hunters and take a few precautions to help everyone enjoy these shared lands safely.

For hikers:
🔸Wear at least one piece of blaze orange visible from all directions (like RRCT’s blaze orange beanie! 🧡)
🔸Stay on marked trails
🔸Keep dogs leashed
🔸Remember, hunting is prohibited on Sundays in Maine.

🥾Hunting is permitted at the following RRCT properties with trails: Chesley Meadows Preserve, Dédəbonsagk Preserve, Fern Hollow Preserve, Granite Falls Preserve, Intervale Preserve, Little Meadow Preserve, Mèmak Preserve, Old Harris Road Preserve and Pisgah Hill Preserve.

🚫 No hunting is allowed at Thayer Brook Preserve (a state-designated wildlife sanctuary) or Littlejohn Island Preserve.

Deer, turkey, bear, and other bird hunting seasons vary by species and extend into December. Please check Maine’s current hunting regulations for specific season dates.

🎯 Hunters: Please register annually at rrct.org/hunting before hunting on a land trust property

Questions? DM us or email [email protected]

Thank you for helping us share these lands safely and respectfully!

10/22/2026

On Tuesday, we hiked ‘Round the Marsh at Thayer Brook Preserve in Gray with Trail Steward Steve McPike! 🍂

On this 3.5-mile guided loop around the 60-acre beaver marsh, we paused to admire beaver dams, the family lodge (its entrance exposed by the drought), and glacial erratics left behind as glaciers receded more than 10,000 years ago. 🦫🪨

Thank you to everyone who joined this beautiful October hike! 🍂

10/19/2026

Exciting changes are underway at Intervale Preserve!

Construction has officially begun, starting with the Warbler Trail at 568 Intervale Road in New Gloucester. This flat, 0.5-mile loop is being renovated to meet Universal Access Standards, featuring:
🧑‍🦽‍➡️A resurfaced, 5-foot-wide firm trail
🥾An 85-foot elevated boardwalk
🅿️ A new six-space accessible gravel parking lot for a seamless connection to the trail and its scenic marsh views

Next up: the Lower Village trails, which will get improved drainage, reduced erosion, and a durable 5-foot-wide surface built to serve hikers and snowmobilers alike.

⚠️Please note: Project areas will be temporarily closed to the public during construction. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation while we make these upgrades.

📆 Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of the year - stay tuned for updates!

🔗 Learn more about these trail improvements here: rrct.org/news/intervale-preserve-improvements

10/13/2026

🍂 Looking for a fall hike this weekend?

Join volunteers Lora Philp and Robb Cotiaux this Sunday, October 18, at 10 am for a 1.2-mile guided hike to the summit of Pisgah Hill Preserve in New Gloucester!

Along the way, explore this special preserve’s historic quarries, distinctive ledges, and mixed forests. Enjoy the fall scenery, learn more about Pisgah Hill, and check the first destination off your 400-Footer Club list! 🥾

🔗 Space is limited to 15 participants, and registration is required. Sign up here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/VxGjxdV5tur7hNtOGuwxuw

10/08/2026

Exciting news!! George, aka Rambo the peacock who has been on the loose since May, has been recaptured and returned home to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray!

After months of searching, Rambo was finally caught and returned to Maine Wildlife Park.

10/07/2026

Never underestimate the capabilities of determined volunteers! 💪

More than 30 volunteers joined us this morning to clean up the Royal River beneath the Route 1 overpass, just upstream from Bridge Street in Yarmouth.

Together we hauled out:
🚲 6 bikes
🛴 1 scooter
🛒 2 shopping carts
🚧 4 traffic cones
🎾 1 tennis net
🔩 2 massive beams
🗑️ Plus plenty of other metal, debris, and trash

And those two incredibly heavy beams may have a fascinating story to tell. They were likely part of the historic trolley line that ran between Yarmouth and Freeport from 1906 to 1933. The Beth Condon Pathway over the Royal River is built on old trolley abutments, so these beams may be remnants of the former line. Pretty neat! 🚃

Volunteers also made a substantial dent in controlling invasive plants along the riverbanks, cutting back shrubby honeysuckle, bittersweet vines, multiflora rose, and glossy buckthorn.

This cleanup was a collaboration between Royal River Conservation Trust, Town of Yarmouth Maine, and Royal River Alliance. The recent removal of the Bridge Street Dam, combined with low water levels from drought conditions, created a unique opportunity to access areas of the river that were previously submerged.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out, got water in their boots, hauled heavy things, tackled invasive plants, and helped care for the Royal River and its surrounding habitat. And thank you Shawn Kays Yard Maintenance LLC for taking all the trash to the transfer station! Amazing work everyone.

10/07/2026

We hope to see you this Friday, October 9th, at 4 pm!

Royal River Conservation Trust and coalition members will be on hand to express our heartfelt thanks to those who have made the Bridge Street Dam removal possible and to extend our sincere gratitude to the entire Linkel Environmental Construction, Inc. crew. Their attention to the sensitivity of the Royal River and their genuine excitement for being part of this project were ever present.

No need to RSVP. Limited parking is available at Sparhawk Mill, and Main Street in Yarmouth is only a few minutes away on foot.

Join us to celebrate the removal of the Bridge St Dam!
This Friday, Oct 9 at 4:00 PM—On the Bridge Street bridge in Yarmouth.
Help celebrate this major milestone in restoring the lower Royal River and take a look at the new riverscape from the bridge.
Bring a friend, bring a sign, bring a kazoo and enjoy the new river view!

Address

52 North Road P. O. Box 90
Yarmouth, ME
04096

Website

https://linktr.ee/royalriverconservationtrust

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