Giampaolo Malin connected with Tree Trust in April this year, and since then he has volunteered more hours than any other individual in 2009. He has an inspiring commitment to the environment and to an overall ethic of civic responsibility, and we at Tree Trust are so grateful for his hard work and dedication.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I moved to the U.S. from Milan, Italy 13 years ago. I spent most of this time living in Minneapolis, but I also lived in Boston for five years.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I work for General Mills in Information Systems.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: Volunteer with Tree Trust of course! I also love spending time with the many wonderful friends I have. I like going to the Guthrie and watching independent movies in local theatres. I play soccer, and although I am not currently teaching, I am a scuba diving instructor so I go diving in the Caribbean as much as I can. Finally, I travel to Italy to see my family including my 15-months-young niece.
Q: Why do you volunteer in general?
A: To me it’s very important to give back to the community. I know that I am very lucky to have a great job and good life, and I also know that there are people who are not so lucky and need a little help. I’d like to think that by volunteering I can make a little difference directly in someone’s life or for future generations in the case of planting trees. On top of all this, it makes me feel great!
Q: Where else do you volunteer besides Tree Trust?
A: I am a licensed amateur radio operator, so I volunteer providing emergency communications for various events. This year I helped at the Twin Cities Marathon and at the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s MS 150 Bike Tour.
I also helped at the Living Green Expo, at the MS Society’s MS Motorcycle Tour, and other events. I am a First Aid/CPR/AED instructor, and I am in the process of exploring volunteering opportunities where I can teach these skills.
Q: How did you hear about Tree Trust?
A: General Mills strongly encourages volunteering and offers a “search engine” for volunteering events (linked to http://www.volunteermatch.org/. I used that search engine to look for opportunities that had something to do with the environment, and I saw a couple of listings by Tree Trust. I decided to give it a try, and I didn’t stop since.
Q: What made you sign up for your first volunteer event?
A: I deeply care for the environment, and I love sharing what I know with other people. When I saw that Tree Trust was looking for people who were willing to become tree trainers and could help guiding other volunteers during the planting events, it sounded like a perfect match: I could do something for the environment and share knowledge with people. So I decided to sign up, and I am glad I did.
Q: What was the best part of your first volunteer experience?
A: My favorite part was the warming and welcoming atmosphere that I found when I came to the first event. I didn’t know anyone, but it didn’t take long to break the ice and feel comfortable around people I barely knew. The Tree Trust staff transmits the passion and energy that they have about trees. That is contagious and really excites you about the volunteer work that you do.
The other nice part is that at every event you meet new people as well as see again some people that you met at previous events.
Q: What was challenging?
A: What was a bit challenging for me at the beginning was that I didn’t have a lot of experience with planting trees and I was one of the “tree trainers.” Even though I attended training to prepare me, I was concerned that I would not be able to properly plant trees and demonstrate the process to the other volunteers. However, the Tree Trust staff is always on hand with recommendations. We all learned and still learn together, and that is really fun.
Q: How did you feel afterwards?
A: I felt great. The nice thing about this kind of volunteering is that it gives you immediate gratification. You can see “your” tree standing after you planted it, and you know that it will be there for years for other people to enjoy. You can even go back and check on “your” trees to see how they are doing. I have done that.
You know that you have done something for your community and for the planet as a whole, so how can’t you feel great about it?
Q: What made you return to volunteer again?
A: Many things, but the top two are:
- The feeling that you are doing something great for your community and for the planet that people will enjoy for years to come.
- The great people at Tree Trust and the other volunteers that you meet at the events. Usually I meet people who share my same values, and therefore it’s easy to have fun and have a great day outside together.
A: I think that Tree Trust combines several things in one. It supports local communities so that what you do is enjoyed by people in Minnesota, but at the same time it betters the whole planet. However, the community support is not limited to planting trees but is expanded to programs that teach people valuable skills that will prepare them to enter the work force. I think this is a great combination.
Q: Why is planting trees important to you?
A: Trees do a lot for us, especially now that we are polluting like we never did before. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, provide shade which reduces cooling costs, control erosion, and make places look better. What else can be more important?
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