Evolving Our Brand, Strengthening Our Impact

A refreshed brand identity that honors our roots while embracing the communities, landscapes, and waters we protect together.

As Maine Coast Heritage Trust evolves to meet the needs of Maine today and into the future, our brand identity is evolving as well. 

In 2026, we unveiled a new logo and brand identity that honors our long history while better representing the breadth of our work today, the importance of partnership, and the leadership role we play to accelerate conservation across Maine. 

The logo design was guided by several core ideas:

Welcoming and Inclusive

A brighter, more vibrant palette signals openness and multiplicity. The clean, friendly typeface was designed by an award-winning Maine-based typographer known for inclusive work — a subtle nod to belonging. 

Community-Minded and Nature-Loving

The interlocking bird, fish, and trees reflect interdependence and ecological balance — and the idea that conservation is not a solo act, but collaborative and deeply rooted in relationships.  

Place-Based and Visionary

The mark reflects Maine’s diverse landscapes and waters — from coastlines to rivers and lakes — and signals MCHT’s statewide presence and broader conservation impact.  

Dynamic and Forward-Moving

The logo has a sense of motion and direction, reflecting living work that requires momentum, partnership, and shared responsibility.  

Confident and Clear

 Bold, simplified shapes and strong color give the mark clarity, balance, and presence across many uses. 

These core ideas are reflected in MCHT’s strategic plan. Updating the logo was a strategic decision to ensure that our brand identity is aligned with our organization’s direction and supports our long-term objectives.  

While the coast remains central to MCHT’s identity and work, our new logo reflects the full range of landscapes and communities we serve — coastal waters, farmland, trails, forests and working lands — while reinforcing the interconnectedness of all these systems across Maine.  

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We encourage our partners to use our logo in appropriate contexts where MCHT is a collaborator, supporter, or funder. Download our brand guidelines to help ensure you’re using the logo consistently and in ways that reflect shared values and partnership. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Why did MCHT update its logo now?  

Maine is changing, and conservation plays a critical role in ensuring that Maine’s future is healthy and sustainable. Climate change, development pressures, housing needs, and habitat loss are reshaping Maine and the communities that depend on lands and waters. At the same time, MCHT’s work has evolved in scale, scope and partnership. 

The MCHT logo had not changed in more than 50 years. The new logo honors our long history while better representing the full breadth of our work today and the leadership role we are playing to help accelerate conservation across Maine.  

2) What values or ideas guided the design process?  

The design was guided by several core ideas: 

1. Welcoming and inclusive: A brighter, more vibrant palette signals openness and multiplicity. The clean, friendly typeface was designed by an award-winning Maine-based typographer known for inclusive work – a subtle nod to belonging.  
2. Community-minded and nature-loving: The interlocking bird, fish, and trees reflect interdependence and ecological balance – and the idea that conservation is not a solo act, but collaborative and deeply rooted in relationships.  
3. Place-based and visionary: The mark reflects Maine’s diverse landscapes and waters – from coastlines to rivers and lakes – and signals MCHT’s statewide presence and broader conservation impact.  
4. Dynamic and forward-moving: The logo has a sense of motion and direction, reflecting living work that requires momentum, partnership, and shared responsibility.  
5. Confident and clear: Bold, simplified shapes and strong color give the mark clarity, balance, and presence across many uses. 

4. Dynamic and forward-moving: The logo has a sense of motion and direction, reflecting living work that requires momentum, partnership, and shared responsibility.  

These core ideas are reflected in MCHT’s current strategic plan. The logo update was a strategic decision to ensure our visual identity is aligned with our direction and supports our long-term objectives. 

 
3) Who was involved in developing the new logo?  

The refreshed visual identity is the result of a thoughtful, collaborative process that included staff, board members, advisory council members, and volunteers. We also invited feedback from key partners, including donors and funders. 

This work was supported by the talented teams at Puelle Design, Ethos | VONT Marketing, and Big Duck, who deftly led us through strategic messaging, graphic design and implementation of the new visual identity.  

4) Are partners and land trusts able to use the new logo?  

Yes. Partners and land trusts can use the new logo in appropriate contexts where MCHT is a collaborator, supporter or funder. Our brand guidelines help ensure the logo is used consistently and in ways that reflect shared values and partnership. Here are clear guidelines to help ensure the logo is used consistently and in ways that reflect shared values and partnership.