Mr. Kumaran Mahalingam is a renowned geologist, standup paddler and a conservation educator. He is the founder of Paddle for Future, a program that promotes lake conservation, by reconnecting people to nature, through water sports. This organisation teaches water sports such as kayaking, paddling, & canoeing. and channels the funds collected from those towards conservation of the very lakes they practice on. The same passion for Nature that led him to starting Paddle for Future, prompted him to take up a job in the field of geology. Kumaran also gives talks in schools on geology, and hopes to inspire children through them. He encourages students to treat the expeditions as outdoor classrooms,and learn more about microhabitats, calculate the level of pollution through basic tests, as well as understand the origin of the waste they collect. Through his "Kuppai2Kappal' project, he encourages children to tinker around with the plastic waste they have collected.