Happy National Mentoring Month
January is National Mentoring Month! Mentorship is a huge component of AmeriCorps National Service Programs. Whether it’s from staff, team leaders, peers, project partners, or alumni, mentorship is highly valued here at ACSTL. Read what ACSTL Members Elizabeth Delgado and Alder Forrester have to say about the topic!
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“This past month my best takeaways were moments that involved my Team Leaders. Other than teaching us how to fell snags, make different types of cuts, and how to buck up aerial logs, their patience and willingness to answer my many questions and give me endless clarification were moments that I appreciated and that I am thankful for. I feel a confidence when serving with my TLs because I was able to rely on them for advice/support when I needed it on and off the field. Although they may not know it, my success was because of their support.” - ACSTL Member Elizabeth Delgado
Elizabeth and her teammates Holly Morris (Team Lead), Trey Barthol, and Leslie Salisbury.
“When I started this term I was so excited for any and all projects, except for felling. I was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to teach felling. One of the first projects I was on, you guessed it, was a felling heavy project. Right at the beginning of the year. Among the Members I was on a team with only one had felled a tree before. I was going to have to teach some felling. I had to take a deep breath, remind myself that I’ve been trained for this, I can do this. And then I did it. And I actually found that it was exciting and fun. With a focus on safety, and going though a complete and thorough size-up of each tree, I quickly realized that I actually really enjoyed teaching felling. The best part is seeing the look on people’s faces as soon as the tree drops. Teaching felling has been unbelievably rewarding.” - ACSTL Team Lead Alder Forrester
Alder assists ACSTL Member Fen Hackfeld with sizing up a tree to fell.