Upcoming Events
Upcoming scheduled events
Royal River Conservation Trust (RRCT) sponsors numerous events throughout the year from four annual cornerstone events like the Pisgah Hill Preserve Full Moon Trek to regular Get Out! Nature Walks and special one-time opportunities. Please join us.
Join Master Naturalist Marie Camillo Reimensnyder for no-cost, family-friendly nature walks this Fall and Winter!
Be mindful of the weather, and dress accordingly. Bring appropriate gear, snacks, and a thermos or water bottle. Waterproof boots for hiking are recommended. All ages are welcome! Nature walks typically involve getting on our knees with a hand lens, or standing still for ten minutes craning up at a treetop. Because the purpose is to observe nature, we ask that dogs not join us. Please wear blaze orange as it is hunting season.
November 24th, Sunday 9:00-11:00 am
Curriculum: Gratitude walk – We will look for signs of who lives here while we ponder our connection to, and gratitude for, nature.
Location: Talking Brook Public Land. Parking at 402 Woodman Rd, New Gloucester.
Master Naturalist: Marie Camillo Reimensnyder
*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at Weekend Nature Walks may be photographed or filmed. Your attendance indicates consent to have any images or footage featuring you at the event used for RRCT-related materials and outreach. Should images or footage appear in marketing materials that you don’t wish to be featured in, please notify RRCT at Info@rrct.org, and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.
November 27, 2024 | Wednesday | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Location: Rines Forest, Cumberland
Curriculum: You could be cooking and cleaning, but maybe you'd rather go see whether the stream is freezing, guess whose tracks are on the shore, and look for a porcupine in a tree. We'll walk up and down steep slopes, helping you prepare for relaxing tomorrow.
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 CCLT and the Royal River Conservation 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.
*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at Weekend Nature Walks may be photographed or filmed. Your attendance indicates consent to have any images or footage featuring you at the event used for RRCT-related materials and outreach. Should images or footage appear in marketing materials that you don’t wish to be featured in, please notify RRCT at Info@rrct.org, and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.
Join Master Naturalist Marie Camillo Reimensnyder for no-cost, family-friendly nature walks this Fall and Winter!
Be mindful of the weather, and dress accordingly. Bring appropriate gear, snacks, and a thermos or water bottle. Waterproof boots for hiking are recommended. All ages are welcome! Nature walks typically involve getting on our knees with a hand lens, or standing still for ten minutes craning up at a treetop. Because the purpose is to observe nature, we ask that dogs not join us.
December 7th, Saturday 9:00-11:00 am
Curriculum: Tracking and Winter Plant ID – Learn winter tracking in the snow! If the area is void of snow, we will look to identify winter plants.
Location: Pisgah Hill Preserve. Parking at 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester.
Master Naturalist: Marie Camillo Reimensnyder
*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at Weekend Nature Walks may be photographed or filmed. Your attendance indicates consent to have any images or footage featuring you at the event used for RRCT-related materials and outreach. Should images or footage appear in marketing materials that you don’t wish to be featured in, please notify RRCT at Info@rrct.org, and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.
Get out! Nature Walks are volunteer-led trips with Maine master naturalists and other skilled volunteer leaders. Join us for a well-planned, no-cost, guided adventure once a month on Wednesdays at 2 pm. It’s always free in rain, snow, or shine. This program is jointly offered by Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust and Royal River Conservation Trust. Our curriculum is targeted at adults and engaged youth.
Solstice Tree: December 18th, 2024, Wednesday at 2pm - Mèmak Preserve, North Yarmouth.
Master Naturalist: Beth Sturtevant
Be mindful of the weather, and dress accordingly. Bring appropriate gear, snacks and a thermos or water bottle. Check back here for any updates or changes. Nature walks typically involve getting on our knees with a hand lens, or standing still for ten minutes craning up at a treetop. Trips are great for kids, but not ideal for folks under age 6. Our curriculum is targeted at adults and engaged youth. Because the purpose is nature observation, we ask that dogs do not join us.
*Photography and Filming Note: Your attendance at Weekend Nature Walks may be photographed or filmed. Your attendance indicates consent to have any images or footage featuring you at the event used for RRCT-related materials and outreach. Should images or footage appear in marketing materials that you don’t wish to be featured in, please notify RRCT at Info@rrct.org, and RRCT will cease to further use your image or footage for any new materials going forward.
2025 is the year of our lucky 13th Annual Pisgah Hill Full Moon Trek! Join us at the summit from 4 pm to 7 pm on Wednesday, February 12th for brief remarks at sunset (5:07 p.m.) followed by a spectacular moonrise over Bradbury Mountain.
The Pisgah Hill Preserve (South) trailhead is located at 74 Dougherty Road in New Gloucester. (In Pownal, Dougherty Road is known as Chadsey Road.) Park in the small lot or along the unmarked side of Dougherty Road.
We’ll update registrants with trail conditions as the date draws nearer but typically the trail is well-packed. During your hike, you’ll encounter some nominal elevation climb and the occasional ledge. We recommend wearing spikes in order to assure footing in places that are icy. If snow has just fallen, you may want to swap the spikes with snowshoes. In addition to proper footwear, we recommend you dress in warm layers and bring a headlamp or flashlight, your cell phone, water, and a whistle. We’ll build a warm fire and provide s’mores at the summit.
Plan to cover the 0.6-mile trek up Pisgah Hill in about 30 minutes. We’ll light the way up and back with snow cairns and lanterns but it will largely be dark, especially during your descent. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed and leave no evidence of their visit.
See you at the summit!
Join us for the Third Annual Wescustogo Paddle in May! We will depart from Wescustogo Park (Route 231) in North Yarmouth and paddle 8 miles to Royal River Park (East Elm Street) in Yarmouth. This two- to three-hour trip will begin with a brief program at 2 p.m. Stay tuned for more details!
