ABOUT ME
Aspiring Environment Professional
I am a student based in Punjab, India, who has just finished school and entering into university life. I am a nature lover and a person who is committed to the protection of our environment.
After graduation, I aim to work with organizations and provide practical solutions to conserve natural habitats, prevent man-animal conflicts, and sensitize communities about the climate crisis.
I am gaining relevant skills and knowledge to become a professional environmentalist. I am also volunteering and gaining experience for that. In my pursuit to be an informed person, I keep an eye on world events that impact and threaten human survival on this planet. I follow professionals and policymakers who decide the future of millions of people.
Humans must understand how to live sustainably because they can not reverse harm to nature. We must not go against nature or try to harm it; only then will we be able to reduce our carbon footprint, i.e., the total amount of greenhouse gases generated by our actions.
Give Back To Nature
PLANT A LIFE
Green is the colour of life.
Without plants, our existence is unthinkable. This is why we must increase the green cover in our countries, cities, and houses. No other best gift is possible than planting a sapling on each birthday.
Keeping that in mind, I started a weekly plantation campaign, Plant a Life, in June 2020 when I was in 10th standard. I went to collect saplings in bulk from the government nurseries and plant them in the open spaces along the barren roads where there was no tree cover. I started talking to people weekly to aware them that planting saplings would be the best legacy we could leave behind. A few national media outlets have also covered my initiative.
NEWS 18 Digital
"This Eco-Warrior From Mohali Plants Trees Wherever He Can"
National media reported on my plantation drive. Coincidentally, 'Man Vs. Wild' star and famous survivalist Bear Grylls tweeted my story with an adjective 'my friend and brother in India.'
My Forthcoming Book
Trekking Tales of A Teenager
I am writing a book on my trekking experiences in the Himalayas.
From 2014 to 2019, I summited some of the highest peaks and crossed passes in the northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It gave me a profound understanding of nature and provided first-hand experience living in the wilderness and basic survival techniques. It equipped me with working in teams, allowed me to connect with mountainous communities and, most importantly, ignited a love for photography. After each week-long trek, my father encouraged me to write about these mountain tales. A few of those pieces found space in children's magazines, and most were unpublished, and those writings are taking the shape of the book I am working on. It contains all the indelible impressions I have on my mind and the love for nature I developed in my childhood days.
I would also like to touch upon the issues of the broader importance of nature, such as deforestation, impacted wildlife, wildfires, pollution, and changing weather etc.
My first love
MOUNTAINS and TREKS
My first trek was unplanned and unanticipated when I was just 10. After that, I did six mountaineering expeditions with my father. Most of them are classed into moderate to tough categories. We did these treks with the help of local villagers. I am still connected to them, who accompanied us on those expeditions and acquainted me with mountains first time. I could not continue my mountaineering trips because of the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. I plan to get on the trek soon as I finish my studies.
First Trek
Chandranahan Lake Trek
Year - 2014
Height—4267 m
Place—Himachal Pradesh, India
Second Trek
Indrahar Pass
Year—2015
Height—4315 m
Place—Himachal Pradesh, India
Third Trek
Kareri Lake
Year—2016
Height—2934 m
Place—Himachal Pradesh, India
Fourth Trek
Buran Pass
Year—2017
Height—4550 m
Place—Himachal Pradesh, India
Fifth Trek
Roopkund Pass
Year—2018
Height—4800 m
Place—Uttarakhand, India
Sixth Trek
Rupin Pass
Year—2019
Height—4700 m
Place—Himachal Pradesh, India
Span Magazine
My experiences with trekking in himalayas
An American magazine, Span, published by the US embassy in India, provided me space in their 2015 issue, when I did my second trek in Himachal Pradesh at the age of 11 years.
My Work
Affiliation
As a student, I am affiliated with some of the organizations working in the field of environment, climate justice and mountaineering.
Fridays For Future
Since August 2022, I have been a coalition and communications team member with the student-led organization Fridays for Future. I reach out to other environmental groups and share ideas and research regarding climate justice, pollution, and scientific reports. As a communication team member, my focus has been on approving social media posts and completing tasks on deadlines.
ResistTwo
I joined this student-led group as a research editor for their Substack, Jalwayu. ResistTwo works on climate advocacy and raises concerns about the socio-environmental impact faced by the most vulnerable communities in India, their lives, livelihood, and future generations. I work as a researcher and writer and curate articles for Jalwayu. I am also part of ResistTwo's Substack effort.
Indian Mountaineering Federation
I am an Associate Member of the Indian Mountaineering Federation (IMF) in New Delhi. IMF is the apex national body for mountaineering and allied sports. IMF supports, promotes and regulates national and international climbing and mountaineering in India and is affiliated with the UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation).
Eyes Behind The Lens
Wildlife Photography
Being in the lap of nature, I learned to document nature and various forms of wildlife in their natural habitat. Being a Biology student has been helpful for me. Wildlife photographers may need field craft skills and knowledge of Biology besides photography skills.
Thank You
