Belize’s Miss Earth Returns Home After Month in the Philippines

The International Miss Earth Pageant has wrapped up, and Belize’s own Morgan Miles is back home. This pageant gives young women a stage to voice their concerns about environmental and social issues. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon caught up with Miles as she returned from the Philippines.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

When people think of pageantry, they often picture stunning dresses and high heels. But for those in the know, pageantry is all about having a platform. Every contestant vying for the Miss Earth 2024 crown is championing an important environmental cause. Today, Belize’s own Morgan Miles returned from the Philippines after a month of competing.

 

Morgan Miles, Miss Earth Belize

“I think one of the things that I definitely took over there was my heritage and my pride that I have for Belize. Belize is so culturally diverse and there is just so much hidden jewels and hidden adventures and things that Belize has to offer. And so I took especially my advocacy conservation and sustainability over there and I got to share that with everyone over there on the international stage and that was just mind-blowing.”

 

While the Miss Earth Pageant might not have the same global fame as some other pageants, it champions equally important causes. Contestants are all about promoting green living, sustainable development, and a cleaner future. Morgan Miles, Belize’s representative, has always loved the outdoors, with hobbies like fishing and canoeing. She never saw herself as a pageant queen, but she stepped out of her comfort zone because she truly believes in the platform she represents.

 

Morgan Miles

“My passion for the environment and sustainability and conservation has all really come together and kind of created one with the pageant because me, by profession, I am a sustainable farmer. I own Fat Farmer, where I supply different health foods, restaurants, and hotels with packaged whole chickens. And then I also stand for conservation in the fly-fishing industry in Belize. So I really want to bring more awareness of these things and why there’s a need for it, not only in Belize but worldwide.”

 

Joining her on this incredible journey was Mia-Paige Miles, the Director of the Miss Earth Belize Pageant and Morgan’s sister. She shared that one of the most rewarding parts of the experience was seeing her sister shine as her true self on an international stage.

 

Mia-Paige Miles, Director, Miss Earth Belize

“So, seeing Belize on an international stage, our small country, Belize, represents itself very largely when we go abroad. So seeing Morgan, especially both personally and professionally, seeing her on the stage showing her advocacy was something that hit close to home. And I’m glad that we could have shared that with everybody.”

 

Morgan’s reign will last for a year, and during this time, the team hopes the Miss Earth Pageant will keep growing and draw in more supporters. Even though she didn’t win the coveted title, Morgan is determined to use her platform to inspire other young girls to get involved in conservation and believe they can be the change they want to see.

 

Morgan Miles

“I think just being a role model now that I am is something that blows my mind, continues to blow my mind daily. I myself never thought that I would have been a pageant queen, but I really put myself out there and I just want to encourage a younger generation, the youth, to be who you are. Stand up for you, who you are. If you believe in conservation, sustainability, these are the things that we need to start portraying more. Bring out your inner personality, inner you, and just show off the least of the best of your ability.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.