Photo by Tom Hutchison

Join MITA

Becoming a member is the way to get involved with MITA. Members become part of a large community of like-minded people and also gain the following immediate benefits:

• The Annual Guide to the Maine Island Trail – a 250-page guide to the 150+ island sites on the trail, where they are located, and how to use them. The guide also provides important information on the safe and responsible use of the trail generally.
• Newsletter – a content-rich semi-annual publication of stories and announcements concerning the Trail and the coast of Maine.
• Electronic newsletter - a periodic bulletin concerning upcoming events and announcements. Please provide us you email address to gain this important component of your membership!
• Starter Kit – New in 2008, MITA members receive a package of discounts from local retailers and outfitters including LL Bean and Kittery Trading Post. For members making significant gear purchases, or planning a trip on the coast, the value of the starter kit can easily exceed the cost of MITA membership.
• Programs and events – MITA holds events and sponsors outings each year and is working to develop more in the future.
• A portion of your membership dues supports our stewardship work.
• Memberships are based on the calender year and expire on 12/31. Memberships purchased after Labor Day include the following calender year.

MITA members are given permission to access some of the most beautiful wild islands on the coast of Maine. In return, members pledge to treat the islands with the utmost care and respect and to practice good stewardship on the lands that they’ve had the privilege to enjoy. In an era of continued privatization and the increasing pervasiveness of a “no trespassing” culture, this unlikely arrangement – one in which land owners grant recreational access of their properties to a broad usership in exchange for the promise of good upkeep – is as remarkable as it is rare. Yet the system works. And as the continued growth of the Maine Island Trail and the steady stream of new and renewing MITA members suggests, it is a mutually beneficial arrangement for island owners, recreational boaters, and all who care about the future of Maine’s wild coastal islands.

We invite you to participate in this unique movement by becoming a MITA member or volunteering for one or more of our island stewardship initiatives. Explore how you can get involved with this special community of people working to ensure that Maine’s wild islands remain well protected and open for enjoyment for generations to come.