A place to inspire learning and sustainable living.

In a beautiful location on the Saco River in Southern Maine, River Bend Farm, home of The Ecology School, lives and breathes a sustainable future, now. All around our visitors, ecologically focused ways of growing food, conserving energy, and building community show that humans can thrive while nourishing the ecosystems we inhabit. At River Bend Farm, we strive to live, learn, work, and play in ways that are restorative to the world around us.

River Bend Farm is a historic 313-acre farm located on a scenic bend in the Saco River, just twenty minutes from the Maine coast. It is a place designed to bring people and nature together. We provide “live what you learn” opportunities for guests through hands-on exploration of Maine’s ecosystems, sustainable living practices, direct connection to food systems and farming along with modeling conservation-in-action.

From overnight retreats and conferences, to summer camps and school programs, River Bend Farm is a place where people of all ages will find comfortable accommodations, delicious food, and beautiful outdoor spaces to explore.

• 5 miles of trails

• 144 bed Dormitory nestled along the edge of a forest

• 7,000 square foot Poland Spring Education & Dining Commons overlooking the Saco River

• Recreational L.L.Bean Waterfront

• 712 solar panels supply 105% of the site’s energy needs*

• Agroecology farm

• Dormitory and Dining Commons built to the specifications of the Living Building Challenge

* Check out the daily impact of our solar panels here:

More About the Spaces

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land we now call River Bend Farm is the traditional land of the Wabanaki people. As a land-based organization, The Ecology School is actively working to dismantle inequitable and harmful structures, redesign systems and processes, and build trust-based relationships to ensure that River Bend Farm is a welcoming place for all people to explore their relationship with the land and the food that nourishes us. We at The Ecology School are still learning about this land and its natural and cultural history and are actively exploring what opportunities we have to address this history.