Conservation Organizations and Partners
Paddlers and other boaters would be limited in where they would be able to access the water and the number of islands left wild that could be visited and explored would be severely limited without the great work of the organizations you will find on this page. It is the conservation efforts, stewardship and partnership with coastal communities of these organizations which allow Nautical By Nature to offer such a diverse portfolio of tours. In an effort to support the good works of these organizations a Nautical By Nature makes donations both financial and of our time to help keep the coast of Maine wild and open.
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Established in the 1980s the Maine Island Trail was one of the first water trails in the country and has been the blue print for many other water trails. From 30 Public Islands to 240 public and private island and mainland sites available for camping and day use. Membership in this great organization not only help to support their mission but provides you with a guidebook and a mobile app with the sites to help with planning. Visit https://mita.org/ for more information.
Co-founded in 1970 by Peggy Rockefeller and Tom Cabot the Maine Coast Heritage Trust facilitated the conservation of 30 Islands in it's first year. From there the MCHT quickly grew into the one of the most significant land trusts in the country and in the early 1980's MCHT co-founded the Land Trust Alliance, to help strengthen land trust in all 50 states. Currently the MCHT maintains preserves from Casco Bay to Passamaquoddy Bay that allow for public access like hiking and camping. For more information of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the amazing work that they do please visit https://www.mcht.org/
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Island Heritage Trust was founded in 1987 by concerned citizens of Deer Isle who wanted to protect shore access, trails and wildlife habitats from development. To date IHT has conservation easements on 771 acres including 13 miles of shoreline. IHT also has ownership of 18 properties including Mark Island and the lighthouse there and Causeway Beach one of our favorite launch sites. For more information on IHT and their great work visit https://www.islandheritagetrust.org/