Nature Quest @Rivendell is found, developed and nurtured by people from various walks of life who love the land and strive to curate the best of experiences for children, families and youth to make a difference to the world and to themselves.
Satish Vangal
Satish is an explorer at heart and practice. He brings his rich experience of over three decades traveling the world and working for society to offer exceptional off-the-grid learning and living adventures.
Malathi Mittal
Our moral compass for Nature Quest at Rivendell, and affectionately called Malathi Aunty, she has cared for the land for 20 years and supports biodynamic farming initiatives in the Nilgiris through the Earth Trust. She leads with compassion and kindness.
Ashok Mittal
Hands-on, world-traveled, ingenious, and affectionately called Ashok Uncle, he is a retired industrialist, worked and educated in Germany in the 60s and 70s, and led the arduous task for building the place and making sure that water is harvested naturally.
K Ramnath Chandrasekhar
K. Ramnath Chandrasekhar is a National Geographic Explorer, Educator and filmmaker. A strong believer in the transformative power of learning spaces, he is a co-founder and the Chief Operating Officer of YouCAN, which runs Nature Quest.
Rachita Sinha
Born and Raised in Jharkhand, Rachita Sinha is a strong believer in regenerative leadership. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of YouCAN, and is the brain behind the experiential learning initiatives of Nature Quest.
Sridhar Lakshmanan
Sridhar, a social entrepreneur, has incubated many ventures for people and the planet. He curates learning experiences and introduced us to the land where unique experiences can be created.
Sridhar Raja
Sridhar Raja, Associate of Education Initiatives at YouCAN and a passionate nature enthusiast, helped set up Nature Quest at Rivendell by relocating to the Nilgiris and preparing the site for visitors.
Nivash Gopalasamy
Nivash, an HR professional and theatre educator, volunteers at Nature Quest at Rivendell, helping with setup, guest hosting, and creating learning experiences for children.
Akshata Subbaraya
Akshata, an advertising and marketing professional teaches life skills to K-12 students in Tamil Nadu and assists with all aspects of Nature Quest at Rivendell.
Raja
Raja, who has cared for Rivendell for over 15 years, is the go-to for fascinating stories about wildlife and weather. His tales are truly captivating!
Vijayakumar
Vijayakumar, an accountant, tailor, and painter, has worked with us for years and is always on call for maintenance and repairs at Nature Quest at Rivendell.
Kaya Umesh
A graduate in Sustainable Architecture from Milan, Kavya helped in providing her thoughts in renovating Nature Quest at Rivendell in a manner that is environmentally friendly.
Meenakshi Umesh
Meenakshi, an eco-architecture advocate, started organic farming in 1992 and founded Puvidham Learning Centre. When we began to renovate Nature Quest at Rivendell to curate experiences, Meenakshi drove to the land to provide her insights and encouragement.
Udayakumar
Prem is passionate about the mountains and also resonates with our belief in introducing children to nature. He is our go to contractor, who is swift on foot and gets things done.
