June 13, 2025


Fern understory at Dunn's Depot Trail
Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Dear Dave,

 

Coming into the longest days of the year, enjoying every minute! Soggy garden beds are but a minor inconvenience alongside the blooming trees, wildflowers, flocks of birds, and a seasonably high Royal River. RRCT's staff and board are grateful for the continued support of our efforts to protect and preserve the watershed and we are looking forward to welcoming a new staff member in July. The 'business' of conservation keeps us in the office most days, but our volunteer Trail Crew continues its weekly tradition of caring for our preserves and building trails and bridges on our new ones. 

 

One of the great aspects of this work is working with the landowners who come to us in hopes of preserving their fields and woods so that others too may enjoy these neighborhood trails, winding roads, and hidden pockets of forest that crisscross New England. This desire to share with others lands that have been so personally enriching is, as a friend once said, "showing that this generation has a love for the next". We hope that you will continue to enjoy the properties we have protected so that you, your family, and generations to come can enjoy their beauty and ensure they remain open and accessible to our communities.

 

Warmly,  

 

The Board and Staff of RRCT

Royal River Conservation Trust welcomes your participation! Please share this email with

family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors and encourage them to subscribe to our

newsletter, visit RRCT.org, e-mail us at Info@RRCT.org, call us at 207-847-9399, or visit

us at 52 North Road in Yarmouth.

Dédəbonsagk Preserve Meadow

New North Yarmouth Preserve Opening Soon:


Thanks to the generosity of North Yarmouth residents Gay Peterson and Rob Wood, a new 20-acre preserve will soon be opening off Milliken Road. Having purchased the property in 1985, they have spent the past forty years caring for these former agricultural fields and woods. 




Rob Wood and Gay Peterson

The well-worn paths are a testament to their regular walks here, and indeed, the genesis for the name chosen for the preserve. Dédəbonsagk, pronounced deda-boon-sock, derives from the Penobscot word tétəponsak for “they walk side by side.”  Rob and Gay were enamored with this name (and imagery), and we felt it was an appropriate choice to acknowledge that their history with this land is integrally linked to the many others who have - and will - walk side by side here for countless generations.

Join our Team!


RRCT is seeking a 20-hour/week Administrative Coordinator to help keep the office running smoothly. The position will support day-to-day operations, including office management, donor relations, bookkeeping, communications, and event logistics. This is a perfect opportunity for someone who is organized, tech-savvy, and enthusiastic about land conservation.


The full job description is available here. Applications are due by July 3rd.

Make a gift today to protect and steward over 6,000 acres of conserved fields, forests, farmland, trails, and wetlands throughout the Royal River watershed!

EVENTS & PROGRAMS

River Elf Trail

Trail Crew - River Elf Trail Building


Wednesday, June 18th, 9 - 12 pm


Help build a new 2-mile River Elf Trail in New Gloucester! The route is flagged and winds through open fields and woods, with a scenic section along the Royal River. We've completed a mile but have more to go!


Learn More

Get Out! Nature Walk: Coastal Habitats


Wednesday, June 25th, 2-3:30 pm



Join us and Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust to explore the tidal mudflats and sandy beaches along the coastline of Littlejohn Island Preserve! We'll keep an eye out for common eiders, black guillemonts, ospreys, and bald eagles.


Learn More

Conservation, Climate Change & CommunityA Spotlight on Local Land Trusts


Join the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and Patagonia Freeport for the first of a three-part speaker series, Conservation, Climate Change & Community, on Wednesday, June 25th, 6:30 - 8 pm.


This panel discussion will feature speakers from Royal River Conservation Trust, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, and Falmouth Land Trust. We'll discuss our conservation work with local communities, how climate change is impacting the work we do, and ways for people to get involved with their local land trust.


All are welcome to attend! RSVP is encouraged by clicking here and registering on AMC's Outdoor Connector page. Food and drinks will be served, and chairs will be provided. The event will be held at the Patagonia store, 100 Main St., Freeport, ME.

THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS




Atlantic Sportswear | Brickyard Hollow | Flycatcher

Freeport Wild Bird Supply | Law Offices of Thaddeus V. Day

Real Maine | Simmons Investment Advisors

Yarmouth Payroll Plus | Yarmouth Water District

Royal River Conservation Trust serves as a catalyst for land conservation in the watershed. We engage landowners, government officials, community members, businesses, local, regional, and state non-profits, and others to protect, steward, and restore the diverse and unique natural ecosystems of the Royal River watershed for current and future generations.


Royal River Conservation Trust | 207-847-9399 | Info@RRCT.orgRRCT.org

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