On a Saturday night in early August, 25-year-old biologist and biodiversity professional Vashti Thompson claimed the Miss Earth Belize 2026 crown, earning the opportunity to bring her country’s urgent environmental advocacy to the global stage at the upcoming Miss Earth 2026 international pageant, hosted this November 14 in the Philippines.
Unlike traditional beauty competitions, Miss Earth centers its mission on elevating climate and conservation action, a mission that aligns perfectly with Thompson’s daily professional and personal work. Holding a bachelor’s degree in biology, Thompson currently serves as a community officer at Belize’s National Biodiversity Office, where she already spends much of her time leading grassroots education efforts to teach local communities how to protect the country’s rich natural resources and unique ecosystems.
In an interview with local outlet News 5, Thompson emphasized that the pageant’s environmental focus makes it a far better fit for her core values than any other beauty competition. “Miss Earth is an environmentally conscious pageant, and it has value within being an advocate for our environment, which is something that I already do and embody day-to-day. It’s really something that I’m true to, so I believe this pageant aligned with my values more than any other pageant,” she explained.
Through her years of on-the-ground community work, Thompson has identified one of Belize’s most pressing environmental gaps: widespread lack of public environmental education. She points to ongoing crises plaguing the country, including pervasive plastic pollution and growing human-wildlife conflict, issues that she argues could be substantially mitigated if the general public had clearer knowledge of existing environmental regulations and the penalties for violating conservation laws.
“The public needs to know this, not just environmentalists, not just scientists, everyone,” Thompson stressed, underscoring her belief that inclusive public outreach is the foundation of meaningful environmental progress.
Thompson will depart Belize at the end of October to join a full month of preliminary pageant activities across the Philippines, ahead of the main international competition in mid-November. Speaking about her new role as national representative, Thompson shared that she carries the Miss Earth Belize crown with deep pride, and is eager to connect with other like-minded eco-conscious delegates from across the globe. While she acknowledged that intensive preparation and training will be required ahead of the international event, she made clear she is fully ready to take on the challenge and amplify Belize’s environmental message worldwide.