About 20 local lobstermen teamed up with environmental groups Monday to collect trash and lost fishing gear from islands off Cape Porpoise.

Read the entire story at Portland Press Herald >>
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=253319&ac=PHnws

or

York County Coast Star - Seacoast Online >>
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090430-NEWS-904300392

The Maine Island Trail is recognized as one of the 50 Best American Adventures in the April/May issue of National Geographic Adventure Magazine. The honor places Maine’s wild coastal islands in the company of the Colorado River/Grand Canyon, Hawaii’s Na Pali Coast, the Florida Everglades, and other iconic boating destinations that are also included on the “50 Best” list.

The award has a special resonance at a time when many Mainers are struggling with difficult economic circumstances, said Doug Welch, Executive Director of the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), a non-profit organization that manages access to the 182 coastal sites that comprise the Trail.

The 2009 Trail Guide is almost ready to go to press but we are excited about the improvements we've made over the winter and wanted to share them with you early!

In this year's edition, we have dramatically improved the detail of the chartlets and maps including topographic information. And of course it wouldn't be a new year if there weren't new islands! Fifteen new sites are joining the trail this year and they will be detailed in the new guide. Renew or Join today to make sure you receive your copy when it's printed!

At MITA we know that getting out on the water and caring for islands may be the last things on your mind in January - but we hope memories of stepping ashore on a wild island are never far away. Renew your membership and get excited for summer by checking out this photo slideshow (or view below the fold) of Maine's islands. Because of you, 2009 promises to be spectacular - and your membership support is critical to maintain this access in the future.

2009 members can look forward to the following:

>> 14 new trail sites - detailed in a further improved guidebook.
>> discounts at local retailers, outfitters and guides. We have strengthened this popular benefit in its second year.
>> opportunities to volunteer and connect. In 2008 over 200 MITA volunteers cleared 371 bags of trash from 127 islands and had a blast doing it. Think what we can accomplish this year!

If you renew your membership before Feb 5 - the money we would normally spend on a renewal mailing will be dedicated to ongoing stewardship of Maine's Islands. Renew today at www.mita.org/renew!

Sincerely,

Doug Welch
Executive Director

As 2008 draws to a close, we at the Maine Island Trail Association wanted to express our sincere gratitude for your support over the past year.

If you weren't able to get out to the islands as much as you'd hoped this summer, please allow us to bring a little bit of the Trail directly to you.

Please click on the movie below (or click here to view full-screen) and enjoy some images that remind us of what makes Maine's islands unique and so valuable to us.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2009!

Sincerely,


Doug Welch
Executive Director