Nature till I die

My art and the environment, Yahoo’s original series tracks what loving the environment means for an ordinary person with extraordinary commitment. These are people who love an art form and from that vantage have explored the environment. In mainstream media, we hear too many ideological voices of activists, partisan NGOs and biased industry players, but sometimes it starts with what piques an individual’s curiosity. Today meet 18 year old Archith Sridhar. When he was 10, his mother caught him lovingly caressing a centipede on his palm, examining its glossy colors and its numerous legs. For him, this beautiful creature was fascinating – as was the injured migratory stork that he helped rescue and leave at the Blue Cross, an animal rescue centre. Leisure reading for him as a twelve-year-old was ‘Microcellular organisms’, a biggie with glossy illustrations. He’s currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Sciences in Pondicherry. The camera has been his favorite gadget – from a trip with family(much to his chagrin) to Bandhavgarh’s tigers to flying solo to Gir and Agumbe or enrolling as a docent at the Madras Crocodile Bank. Ask him what he wants to become – he is not sure. Ask him what he wants to do now – and he would probably pick up his Canon 7D and his backpack. Hear him tell you about his photos and experiences with passion, enthusiasm and humor.