MISS GUATEMALA EARTH 2011 - Ana Luisa Montufar

Miss Earth 2011


BIOGRAPHY:

Information to be posted

INTERVIEW:

What environmental project will you create to promote the protection of Mother Earth and why?

Guatemala is located in the Central American Region, which has become one of the regions greatly affected by climate change. Due to being located between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, we have become very vulnerable to hurricanes, tropical storms and great floods; in addition to the deforestation of our land (In Guatemala the rate of deforestation is higher than 172,900 Acres per year), leaving the soil vulnerable to landslides and other serious catastrophes. I have two projects in mind and I will carry out the one that is settled first. PROJECT 1 "A CAN FOR A TREE" Over 6,000.000 metal cans enter Guatemala every year, most of them containing nutritional products such as: infant formula and nutritional supplements. Once these cans are used, they are tossed in the trash can and they end up in dumpsters with no control over them what so ever. One of the companies that imports and distributes these products is very interested in retrieving these empty cans, for each can recovered a tree will be sown. First Phase It will begin through a Pilot Project or it in the following way 1- Publicity Campaign in Pharmaceuticals, Supermarkets, Medical Clinics, and the Media. 2- Strategically Placement of Containers to collect the cans. 3- Collected cans count. 4- An area will be chosen for the planting of the trees. 5- The Campaign will be promoted in schools so that children will get involved in planting the trees. 6- The people who return their empty cans will be notified on the location where their tree was planted. 7- The cans will be handed over to a company that uses them properly, such as companies that will recycle them. Objective: Cleaning Reforestation The logistics can take a long several months. Efforts will be made so that the First Phase can be finished by the end of 2011. If there is good response and success, the project can be extended towards the beginning of 2012 and could be continued by the upcoming Miss Earth Guatemala. PROJECT 2 Casa de Dios is a Christian Church in Guatemala with over 20,000 members. The Church has a "Food Bank," one that has been working for several years. Each month, the Church's members donate "Non perishable foods", with which more than 2,500 people are being fed every month. On top of this, whenever there is a natural disaster such as a storm, flood, hurricane, etc. food and clothing are taken to the victims in their communities. This is possible because of its collecting facilities as well as the good planning and logistics during these events. The Project will be: "Food for a Tree" A- A tree will be provided per each bag of food they donate per month for a duration of six months. B- The people's information will be recorded in order to inform them later where their tree was planted. C- The area to be replanted will be chosen. D- The team for planting the trees will be chosen. Objective: Reforestation Help the Food Bank Grow As Miss Earth Guatemala 2011, I will make information about the advances made in the chosen project known by sending a video as soon as one of them is chosen and confirmed.

What makes you proud of the country you are representing, and what can you promote about your country?

What makes me proud of my country Guatemala is a privileged country due to its geographical position. With an extension of 108,000km2, it has a diversity of microclimates; you can go from a tropical climate to a cold mountain in only 30 minutes. In a short period of time, you can also go from an exuberant jungle to a cloud forest, a plateau, a mountain, dry lands and even the two coasts with beautiful beaches along the caribbean sea and the pacific ocean. the country has a mountain chain where mighty rivers are born, and a chain of 41 volcanoes, many of which are active, and others with lakes on their craters. we have a coral reef along the caribbean sea which is a protected area. guatemala has amazing lakes, like the atitlan lake, which is worth mentioning since it is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. guatemala is the cradle of the mayan culture and we have temples that have been declared world cultural heritage monuments. the "el mirador" area was recently discovered and within its building complex lays the birth place of the cam kingdom, where the highest pyramid in the world is located. we have indigenous ethnic groups with over 23 dialects and approximately 250 autochthonous gowns. our fauna, flora and music are unique. our export products are coffee (considered as one of the best around the world), sugar, etc. our gastronomy is one of the most diverse in the world. and of course our people are kind, friendly, forward-thinking and hospitable. what can i promote about my country during the 10th world convention on biological diversity held in nagoya, japan last october 2010, guatemala was admitted among the member countries of biological diversity. it is worth mentioning that guatemala has been admitted for having presented the book "guatemala and its biodiversity". guatemala is the only country that justifies its adhesion with a formal and detailed study. thanks to this, the biodiverse countries organization created a formal mechanism for the submission of membership requests. before, the countries who become members were made members through an invitation. since october 2010, guatemala was made part of the 19 megadiverse countries in the world. (the philippines is also on this list) the national council for protected areas (conap) will present the program "guatemala megadiverse 2011-2020, the decade of life and development" to the nation. here an inter-institutional agreement for the protection of our country's ecosystems will be presented. guatemala has 66 different ecosystems identified, each one unique in the world. guatemala has a great diversity of forests. flora in the country (10,317 species) information provided after two years of research. endemic flora and fauna unique mangroves live coral reefs i will promote my country as "a unique biodiverse country in the world" and a country that provides great opportunities for tourism and agricultural development, mentioning what was presented previously.

Describe your childhood/growing years.

Those years went by filled with happiness and took place in a unified and integrated family environment. Aside from going to school, I took Spanish dance (Flamenco) lessons. I also learned sign language to be able to communicate with people who were hearing impaired. My dream of becoming a beauty queen began when I was eleven years old, when I studied for twoyears at the professional modeling academy "El Mundo de la Mujer". Since that age, I have focused on becoming a Beauty Queen to be able to represent my country internationally in order to be an inspiration to Guatemalan society.

What lessons did you learn from your childhood/growing years? ?

I learned to live and grow in an integrated family which provided the support and safety that is needed at that age. I learned that perseverance, excellence, and effort are the bases for succeeding in everything you do. My pastor taught me that success is not an event, rather it is a daily life process. The most important lesson I learned is the great "value of friendship" in any stage of one's life.

What is your environmental advocacy?

My Country loses 172,900 Acres of forest per year. This is why my support to the "Environment in my country" is mostly focused on reforestation programs. In the month of July, I will be participating in a reforestation program (Lounged by my school) in the San Vicente Pacaya area. This is a region located at the feet of "Pacaya" volcano, one that is in frequent activity. This will consist of an awareness program throughout the region, and trees will be planted on Saturdays with the students of these institutions.


PHOTO GALLERY: