PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Fifty years ago Sue Beaudet joined Girl Scouts of America, and she has never really taken the uniform off.
Currently a professor of education at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Beaudet is one of 10 national finalists for the 2011 L.L. Bean Outdoor Heroes Award.
Beaudet was nominated by Girl Scouts of Maine for her work as an adult facilitator.
Over the years she has helped adult leaders learn how to work with girls in the outdoors, providing training on everything from camping and nature activities to environmental awareness and conservation.
“I joined in 1957 as a Brownie,” Beaudet said. “Back then that was as early as you could start and I just kept it up.”
Beaudet describes herself as someone who always loved the outdoors, though she did not come from a particularly outdoorsy family.
“I won’t say my family hated the outdoors,” she said. “But it was really not their thing.”
Involvement in Scouting, Beaudet said, pushed her into activities and adventures she may never had attempted otherwise including hiking and camping in the White Mountains, canoeing and kayaking.
“The Scouts have given me so many opportunities that I always knew I’d give back to them as a volunteer,” Beaudet said.
Over the years Beaudet has led hikes up Mt. Katahdin, taught skiing at the Nordic Heritage Center and guided kayak trips down northern Maine waterways.
She has helped adult leaders learn how to work with girls in the outdoors by providing training on everything from camping and nature activities to environmental awareness and conservation.
“What I do is about helping girls to grow and using the outdoors to help them discover themselves,” Beaudet said.
She has worked with Girl Scouts around the world as a climbing and ski instructor in Switzerland, a canoe guide in Canada and an instructor at the organization’s national center in Wyoming.
“If kids don’t get outside they will never appreciate the outdoors,” Beaudet said. “I want kids to experience the outdoors and wild spaces so they can see it’s fun and that they will enjoy it.”
Through participation in Scouting activities like canoeing, skiing or climbing, Beaudet said, young girls can feel the thrill of meeting challenges head-on.
“There is a real feeling of accomplishment you get when you try something and give it your best,” she said. “Things can be too easy for kids these days.”
Girl Scouts of Maine official Christine Burgess has worked with Beaudet for many years and nominated her for the award. When Beaudet received a call from a member of the Girl Scout staff about the good news, she said it came as a complete surprise.
“I am completely humbled by this,” Beaudet said. “And to be honest, there are people who deserve it just the same.”
Also nominated from Maine and eligible for online votes are Carol and Bob Leone from Edgecomb for their work on Teens to Trails in memory of their daughter. Teens to Trails connects teenagers to the outdoors.
Dave Getchell Sr. of Portland was nominated for his work founding the Maine Island Trails Association and ongoing conservation work protecting Maine’s public waterways.
From the field of nominees, five will be selected to receive the prestigious Outdoor Heroes Award. The company creates a short video showcasing each nominee that can be viewed on its website at https://www.llbean.com/outdoorsOnline/conservationAndEnvironment/outdoorHeroes/.
Winners are then selected by online voting, which runs through July 31. A $5,000 grant is given in each winner’s name to the organization associated with the nomination.
